


The Phoenix

by RoseyPoseyPie



Series: Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Amputation, BAMF Pepper Potts, Canon-Typical Violence, Comic Book Science, F/F, Female Tony Stark, Fluff, Genderbending, Genderfluid Character, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Sex, Iron Man 2, Lesbian Tony Stark, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Character, Post-Iron Man 2, Prosthesis, Slow Burn, Swearing, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-07-29 02:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16255235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseyPoseyPie/pseuds/RoseyPoseyPie
Summary: Former Title: Iron Maiden 2With the world now aware of her dual life as the armored superhero Iron Maiden, billionaire inventor Toni Stark faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share her technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of her invention as the sins of her past still haunt her, Stark with Pepper and Rhodey at her side must forge new alliances - and confront powerful enemies. The worst part of it all is that she's fighting to protect a legacy that is slowly killing her.Toni must learn it's not the armor that makes the hero, but the person inside.





	1. Return

**Author's Note:**

> Iron Maiden 2 is finally here! I hope you all are looking forward to it as much as I am. I know the movie isn't the best, but I've always had a soft spot for it.
> 
> If you haven't yet read Iron Maiden, I highly suggest you do.
> 
> I have a Toni Stark Playlist:
> 
> [Toni Stark's Tunes](https://8tracks.com/roseyposeypie/toni-stark-s-tunes?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button) from [RoseyPoseyPie](http://8tracks.com/roseyposeypie?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button) on [8tracks Radio](https://8tracks.com?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button).

It had been five and a half months since Toni Stark had told the world she was Iron Man. In the time since, the media chose to rebrand her as the Iron Maiden, and Toni had time to focus on her developments. Gone were the days of her partying, going to fancy dinners, and being seen topless at the beach. Toni embraced working out of her workshop, turning out massive amounts of medical and agricultural technology. It didn’t seem like it was enough to her, because then, she arranged the Stark Expo. A year-long event to bring inventors and corporations together to further her vision for pacifist technological advancements. Robotic engineers, civil engineers, biomedical engineers, and a plethora of other creators and scientists all were summoned to Flushing, New York, in downtown Queens. 

The Flushing Meadows Park, which had seen two World Fairs and several Stark Expos before, was now the site of Toni’s latest celebration. It would also be the first time she spoke in public for several months. Above the event, Toni Stark was in her Iron Maiden suit.

 

“Two-seventy at thirty knots, holding steady at fifteen-thousand feet. You are clear for exfiltration over the drop zone.” The pilot informed her. It was time for her to dive into the opening ceremonies. The back of the plane opened, and she jumped, falling. She used her propulsors to navigate to avoid the fireworks that were shooting into the air around her. As she got closer to the stadium where the expo was being held, she flipped and used propulsion to slow her fall, so she landed delicately on a white circle on the stage. Sparks sprayed off the stage, the lights were dancing around her, and the audience was cheering. On the screen, a dramatic slideshow of her most recent creations had been premiering. The final presentation was her suit. Once the audience had seen it, she activated the disassembly robots beneath her, and the suit quickly was taken off of her and transported under the stage. She grinned as she was revealed to be wearing a tuxedo beneath her suit, and she practically skipped to the podium.

 

“Toni! Toni! Toni!” The audience was cheering loudly. 

 

“It’s good to be back,” She said into the microphone, “Did you guys miss me?” She smiled and winked as the cheering roared again.

 

“Blow something up!” A man yelled.

 

“I missed you to - wait, blow something up?” She laughed. “Let’s not do that within reason, honey. But I cannot tell you how glad I am that we’re all here. You’re here, I’m here. Why are we here? We are here to celebrate. We’re not here to celebrate me, and we’re not here to celebrate you. We are here to celebrate peace, something which I have been tirelessly fighting for since I’ve risen from the ashes. I don’t think there’s ever been a greater personification of the phoenix metaphor in human history. Is that a bit pretentious of me? Oh well.” She shrugged and smiled at the audience.

 

“I love you, Toni!” A woman yelled from the audience.

 

“I love you, too!” Toni yelled back with equal enthusiasm. “But it’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s not even about us. It’s about legacy. It’s about what we choose to leave behind for future generations. And that’s why for the next year and for the first time since 1974, the best and brightest minds of nations and industries the world over will pool their resources, share their collective vision, to leave behind a brighter future. It’s not about us. Therefore, what I’m saying if I’m saying anything, is welcome back to the Stark Expo.” That resulted in a huge cheer from the crowd. “And now, making a special guest appearance from the great beyond to tell you what it’s all about, please welcome my father, Howard.” Toni motioned to the large screen and walked offstage. She pulled a small metal box from her pocket and pushed her thumb in a round indentation. There was a sharp prick of her finger and some warbling from the device before it informed her that her blood toxicity was nearing twenty-two percent. That wasn’t good. She started heading through the backstage to where she was supposed to meet Happy and go to the car.

 

“Make sure you join me,” Happy warned her after she met him at the entrance.

 

“Alright,” She said. “It’s a zoo out there, watch out.”

 

The duo pushed their way out the door and into the crowd. Happy went to the car ahead of Toni, who was bogged down with fans trying to touch her, screaming her name, shoving photos to autograph in her face, and taking pictures with blinding flash. 

 

“Come on Toni, there we go,” Happy said when they finally reached the car.

 

“Very mellow,” Toni joked about the crowd.

 

“That wasn’t so bad,” Happy agreed.

 

“No, it was perfect,” Toni said.

 

“Look what we got here, the new model,” Happy motioned to the car. A woman was standing beside it, blocking their way in.

 

“I assume you’re referring to the car and not the woman?” Toni asked. Happy nodded. Toni walked up and addressed her, “Hi, why are you here?”

 

“Serving subpoenas,” The woman said, handing Toni a letter.

 

Toni backed away, “Yikes.”

 

Happy took the envelope from the woman, “She doesn’t like to be handed things,” He explained.

 

“Yeah, I have a peeve,” Toni nodded.

 

“I got it,” The woman said. “You are hereby ordered to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee tomorrow morning at 9 am.”

 

“Can I see a badge?” Toni asked.

 

“You wanna see the badge?” The woman asked. Toni nodded.

 

“She likes the badge,” Happy added.

 

The woman pulled the badge from her pocket and showed Toni. She was a U.S. Marshal. “You still like it?” She asked.

 

“Yes, thank you,” Toni said. “May I get in my car now?”

 

She shrugged and stepped aside. Toni got into the driver’s seat and Happy in the passenger’s. “How far are we from D.C.?” Toni asked.

 

“D.C.?” Happy questioned. “About two-fifty miles.”

 

“That’s half an hour with the jet?” Toni guessed. She started driving. “Great, we’ll go back to the hotel, get some sleep, and leave tomorrow morning around sixish.”

 

“You’re going to take an early night?” Happy asked.

 

“It’s for the government, Happy,” Toni said.

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, Toni was sitting in the hot seat for a Senate committee. She was dressed in a burgundy pantsuit and white blouse, her hair was in a knot at the base of her neck, and it was clear she had recycled some components of yesterday’s makeup.

 

“Miss Stark,” Senator Stern was addressing her. His nose and lips were comically large compared to the rest of his face, and she did not want to be here. “Could we pick up where we left off? Miss Stark, please?”

 

Toni turned away from Pepper, who had been quietly scolding her for her apparent indifference to the whole ordeal. “Yes, dear?” She asked Stern in the most sickeningly sweet voice she could manage.

 

“Can I have your attention?” He asked.

 

“Absolutely,” Toni smiled.

 

“Do you or do you not possess a specialized weapon?”

 

“I do not,” Toni stated.

 

“You do not?”

 

“I do not.”

 

Stern tried to ask the question a different way, “So you do not possess the Iron Maiden Weapon?”

 

“I do possess Iron Maiden device, but that is not a weapon,” Toni said. “And moreover, even if it was, I fail to see the jurisdiction that the government has over my private property, physical and intellectual. What basis do you have for why the government should possess it? I’ve only used it for mobility and self-defense, so there is no criminal pursuit here. None of the technology was ever given or promised to the United States government through any form of contract.”

 

“Miss Stark-”

 

“And  _ furthermore _ the device is not the Iron Maiden,  _ I  _ am the Iron Maiden. So if you request to possess the Iron Maiden, you are requesting to possess myself. That is tantamount to indentured servitude or prostitution, depending on what you want to call it. So you can’t have it.”

 

“Look, I’m not expert-”

 

“In prostitution? Of course not, you’re a senator, come on,” She quipped. The audience of the hearing and even a member or two of the committee laughed.

 

Stern restarted, “I’m no expert in weapons. We have somebody here who is an expert on weapons. I’d now like to call Justin Hammer, our current primary weapons contractor.”

 

Toni loudly said, “Let the record reflect that I observed Mr. Hammer entering the chamber, and I am wondering if and when any actual expert will also be in attendance.”

 

“Absolutely,” Hammer said, walking in. “I’m no expert. I defer to you, Antoinette. You’re the wonder girl. Senator, if I may. I may well not be an expert, but you know who the expert was? Your dad. Howard Stark. Really a father to us all, and to the military-industrial age.” As he said that, Toni rolled her eyes and had a strong desire to start cursing out the military-industrial age. “Let’s just be clear, he was no flower child. He was a lion. We all know why we’re here. In the last six months, Antoinette Stark has created a sword with untold possibilities. And yet, she insists it’s a shield. She asks us to trust her as we cower behind it. I wish I were comforted, Antoinette, I really do. I’d love to leave my door unlocked when I leave the house, but this ain’t Canada. You know, we live in a world of grave threats, threats that Miss Stark will not always be able to foresee. Thank you. God bless Iron Maiden. God bless America.”

 

“That is well said-” Sterns started.

 

“Can I make a rebuttal?” Toni asked, interrupting him. He opened his mouth to refuse her. “Too late, doing it anyway. I’m not trying to replace the government, Mr. Hammer. I’m not saying that nobody needs the military because I exist. I may have a bit of an ego, but I’m not a  _ man _ .” There was some laughter. “You know what I use the suit for? Flight. I like to fly. And yes, the repulsors I use for flight stabilization can also be used to cause harm. But you know what else can be used to cause harm? A pen, the charger for your phone, half the things in a  _ Home Depot _ .” Sterns tried to interrupt her, but she leaned forward and spoke louder. “My point is, I never told anyone that I’ve made it as safe as Canada. We’d have more extensive firearm regulations for that to be true.” Hammer and Sterns both tried to interrupt her but she spoke over them, “It’s evident you’re not an expert on technology because you look at anything useful - all of you - and you think about how many people you can kill with it. I lived that life, and I’m ashamed of it. I build tools now, prosthetics, and other things that are designed to be useful. Just because you can gouge someone’s eyes out with a screwdriver doesn’t mean it’s not designed for something more useful.”

 

“Thank you, Miss Stark,” Sterns grumbled. “And now, the committee would now like to invite Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes to the chamber.”

 

“Rhodey, what?” Toni muttered under her breath, turning around. Toni stood up to greet him.

 

“Hey, buddy,” she said. “I didn’t know you were here.”

 

“Look, it’s me. I’m here. Deal with it. Let’s move on,” Rhodey said tersely.

 

“I just-”

 

“Drop it,” He said.

 

“Dropped,” Toni shrugged, she returned to her seat. Rhodey found his. He had a packet under one arm.

 

“I have before me a complete report on the Iron Maiden weapon, compiled by Colonel Rhodes. And, Colonel, for the record, can you please read page fifty-seven, paragraph  four?”

 

“You’re requesting that I read specific selections from my report, Senator?” Rhodes asked.

 

“Yes, sir,” Sterns said.

 

“It was my understanding that I was going to be testifying in a much more comprehensive and detailed manner,” Rhodes said.

 

“I understand. A lot of things have changed today. So if you could just read-”

 

“You do understand that reading a single paragraph out of context does not reflect the summary of my final-”

 

“Just read it, Colonel. I do, thank you,” Sterns said.

 

“Very well,” Rhodey sighed. He slowly flipped to the page and the paragraph. “‘As she does not operate within any definable branch of government, Iron Maiden presents a potential threat to the security of both the nation and to its interests.’ I did, however, go on to summarise that the benefits of Iron Maiden far outweigh three liabilities and that it would be in our interest-”

 

“That’s enough, Colonel,” Sterns said abruptly.

 

Rhodey continued, “-to fold Miss Stark-”

 

“That’s enough!”

 

“-into the existing chain of command, Senator.”

 

“I’m not a joiner, but I’ll consider Secretary of Defense if you ask nicely,” Toni teased. There was some laughter.

 

“I’d like to go on and show, if I may, the imagery that’s connected to your report,” Sterns said.

 

“I believe it is somewhat premature to reveal these images to the general public at this time,” Rhodey said.

 

“With all due respect, Colonel, I understand. And if you could just narrate those for us, we’d be very grateful. Let’s have the images.”

 

A screen started to show aerial images of robots. “Intelligence suggests that the devices seen in these photos are, in fact, attempts at making manned copies of Miss Stark’s suit. This has been corroborated by our allies and local intelligence on the ground-” As Rhodey was speaking, Toni used her phone to pull up information on existing Iron Maiden projects across the globe. “-Indicating that these suits are quite possibly, at this moment, operational.”

 

“Hold on a second, buddy,” Toni said, linking her phone to the monitor. “Let me see something here.” The screens switched to her phone screen. “Boy, I’m good. I commandeered your screens. I need them. Time for a little transparency. Now, let’s see what’s really going on.”

 

“What’s she doing?” Stern asked.

 

“If you direct your attention to said screens, I believe that’s North Korea,” Toni said. The screen showed a suit that, when the person inside tried to use it, the fell over with a sharp clatter.

 

“Can you turn that off? Take that off,” Stern ordered. Hammer hurried over to try to turn off the monitors.

 

“Iran,” Toni continued. The image of a suit that managed to fly for four seconds before crashing in a blaze of fire and smoke. Hammer was trying, furiously, to turn off the monitors. “No grave threat here. Is that Justin Hammer? How did Hammer get in the game?” The image of Hammer on screen was one of him speaking to a man in a poorly coordinated suit. “Justin, you’re on TV, focus up,” Toni said. 

 

The Justin on the screen was directing the pilot “Okay, give me a left twist. Left’s good. Turn to the right. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.” Before the extent of how haywire the suit went could be apparent on screen, the real Justin managed to unplug it.

 

“I would just like to point out that test pilot survived!” Justin said.

 

“Is there a point to this spectacle, Miss Stark?” Sterns asked.

 

“Absolutely. Based on the available evidence, most foreign countries are five or ten years away. Hammer Industries could be twenty. That’s just for the suit to be functional. Power is another game I don’t see happening for a while. So, my point is, you shouldn’t deceive Americans that a legion of robots is going to kill them because Toni Stark is a selfish bitch. I’ve stopped being an agent of the military-industrial complex, and this is a sad attempt to  _ seize _ my property because you can’t get anything better. I’m sorry Justin doesn't satisfy you, Senator. That’s not my problem. If you want to sue me for my property, be my guest, I just want the American people to know that the money for a lawsuit like that could easily be spent on things like education. I promise, if evil robots start attacking, I’ll reconsider, but at the moment I feel like this is a superfluous, unnecessary, and insulting waste of my time and the time of everyone here.” She stood up and turned to the crowd behind her, “I apologize on his behalf.”

 

“Fuck you, Miss Stark,” Sterns said. “Fuck you, sweetheart. We’re adjourned. We’re adjourned for today.” Toni pulled sunglasses from her pocket, put them on, and walked out of the room. “You’ve been a delight!” Sterns called.

 

“You could’ve been nicer,” Pepper said to Toni. She had jogged after her through the halls of The Capitol.

 

“I wasn’t the asshole dropping F-bombs,” Toni shrugged.

 

“Were you even taking this seriously?” Pepper asked.

 

Toni turned around and walked backward so she could face Pepper, “Yes, I am. I’m trying. I was emailing with my lawyers all morning on the plane. Or did you think I was playing  _ Angry Birds _ _ TM _ ?” Toni turned back around. “Besides, how can I take these clowns seriously when they don’t take  _ me _ seriously?”

 

“Well, you have to be the bigger person.”

 

“Why?” Toni asked. “Why am I obligated to be nice to people who treat me like a little girl playing dress-up? Why am I obligated to be nice to people who are trying to abduct my intellectual property because the military-industrial complex is only second to viagra as the best way to get them a stiffy? Nobody would have dragged Daddy in there and argued that he was too unreasonable to own something.”

 

“I know you’re mad-”

 

“I’m not mad,” Toni sighed. “Okay, I am mad. But, I’m also  _ exhausted _ .”

 

“Are you sleeping alright and everything?” Pepper asked.

 

“Eh,” Toni shrugged.

 

“And you haven’t been drinking?”

 

“Not alcohol,” Toni said. “I’ve been drinking a lot of those nasty green smoothies with kale, spinach, avocados, and chlorophyll supplements.”

 

“Do you want me to schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist to treat your insomnia?”

 

“That’s a waste of your time and my time,” Toni said. “I have melatonin supplements. I’m just favoring work over rest.”

 

“You know, you’re better at work when you’re rested,” Pepper said. “It’s a recent, amazing discovery, believe it or not.”

 

“Really?” Toni asked.

 

“Yeah, they’ve only known that for the last millennia or something,” Pepper said.

 

“Wow,” Toni shook her head. “I wish I knew that in college.”

 

They were nearly out of the capitol building now. Pepper reached out and set a hand on Toni’s shoulder. Toni turned around to face her, arms crossed.  “Are you going to be alright?” Pepper asked.

 

Toni wanted to tell her the truth, so terribly. But she didn’t see the point in making Pepper miserable. 

 

“I’m overwhelmed,” Toni admitted quietly. “We should talk in the car.”

 

Pepper blinked at her, confused, but didn’t say anything else, quietly at Toni’s heels. There was a typical media crowd awaiting her, she ducked microphones and denied interviews until she was in the car. Happy drove and Toni talked to Pepper in the backseat.

 

“You might have noticed in the last few months that Stark Industries is in a bit of disarray,” Toni said. She sighed. “I mean - stocks have never been higher-”

 

“I’m aware that, from a managerial standpoint, the company is a mess,” Pepper said. “I’m usually the one helping you fix it.”

 

“Exactly!” Toni said. “I’m terrible at this stuff. I never studied business, I tested out of college economics with one test twenty-five years ago. I’m an engineer and an inventor, and running the company is not something I’m good at. But, also, I can’t show any weakness because people like Sterns and Hammer are already at my throat. So, I need your help.”

 

“Whatever you need me to do-”

 

“I want you to be my Chief Operating Officer,” Toni said. “I’ve been looking for a replacement after I, well, killed the last one. And I realized, there is nobody I trust more to manage Stark Industries than you. You’d be, effectively, the CEO, and you’d have the ability to make all of these important choices with my, limited, input. You’d also be my successor if anything happened to me.”

 

“If anything happened to you?”

 

“You know, Daddy wasn’t expecting to go when he did. I don’t want to make his mistakes. His company was left to a twenty-year-old mess, I want mine to go to someone I trust and admire, not some random cousin I’ve never met.”

 

“I - I don’t know what to say.”

 

“You don’t have to say anything,” Toni said. “You’d said you’d do anything for me. Is this one of those things? I need a partner, Pepper, and you’re the best person I know.”

 

“Of course I’ll be your COO,” Pepper said.

 

“Yay!” Toni said. “I’d usually pop champagne, but I’m off drinking.” She opened the cooler in the back seat. “Tepid bottled water?” She offered Pepper. Pepper accepted the bottle, and they unscrewed the caps and tapped the plastic bottles together as a toast.


	2. Mystery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has provided feedback so far, I've loved hearing from you.
> 
> Nathan Rushman is introduced in this chapter, but remember: _fallaces sunt rerum species_.
> 
> I hope you enjoy! :)

In Toni’s home gym, she was working out with Happy. Her prosthetics whirred as she shifted from foot to foot and hit the boxing mitts, again and again, switching from a jab-cross pattern to a hook pattern to an uppercut pattern at Happy’s order. Happy was coaching her, correcting her form, and telling her when she had a particularly good strike.

“The notary’s here,” Pepper said loudly. “Can you please come here and finish this paperwork?”

“By paperwork do you mean your contract of employment and my last will and testament?” Toni asked, stopping her workout.

“Yes,” Pepper called.

“One moment, sweetums,” Toni called. She ripped apart the velcro of her gloves with her teeth and shook her hands until the gloves were on the ground. She picked up her bottle full of green juice and guzzled it, face screwed up in disgust the entire time. While she did this, she spent a lot of time looking at the notary. It was a man. He was average height, slim, and had wavy auburn hair which a bit too long to be professional and a shadow of stubble on his jawline. He was wearing ivory, patterned, short-sleeved, buttoned-up shirt which was french-tucked into dark slacks and formal sneakers. Most men she encountered were in three-piece suits with slicked-back hair and bitter cologne. He didn’t seem like that.

“I need you to initial each box,” The notary was saying to Pepper as Pepper was signing her newest contract of employment. His voice was strange because he sounded very young for his appearance.

“What’s your name?” She asked the notary as she walked over to where Pepper was sitting.

“Nathan,” The man said, “Nathan Rushman.”

“Nice to meet you, Nathan,” Toni said. “I’d shake your hand by mine are a bit funky.”

“That’s alright, ma’am,” Nathan said. Toni looked at him again up close. He was definitely muscular despite his narrow frame, his shirt was taught against his chest, and his arms were well-defined.

“Do you have experience boxing?” Toni asked, motioning to the bag behind her.

“A bit,” Nathan nodded.

“So, what exercise do you typically do? I’m experimenting with things that keep up my cardio while still integrating strength training,” Toni said.

“Well, I’ve had the most experience in ballet and gymnastics, ma’am,” he answered.

“Ballet? I heard that’s hard,” Toni sounded impressed. Nathan smiled. Behind her, Happy scoffed loudly. Nathan stopped smiling. “Want to keep the gloves warm for me?”

Pepper frowned, “You’re not seriously asking him to-”

“If he wants to,” Toni shrugged.

“It’s no problem,” Nathan assured Pepper, smiling. 

“I’m sorry,” Pepper said. “She’s very eccentric.”

“Hey, Happy,” Toni said, “Can you give this kid a lesson?”

“No problem,” Happy nodded. Toni climbed out of the ring as Nathan stepped into it. She went over to Pepper.

“Who is he?” Toni asked.

“He’s from legal,” Pepper said. “Why are you acting weird?”

“You said it yourself, I’m eccentric,” Toni shrugged. “I need a new assistant.”

“Yes, and I’ve got three excellent potential candidates. They’re lined up and ready to meet you.”

“I looked at them. They’re all pretty girls.”

“I thought you appreciated pretty girls,” Pepper said with excessive casualness.

“I do, but I’m trying to cut down on distraction,” Toni said. “Besides, I need someone now. I like his vibe.”

“You ready, ballet boy?” Happy asked.

“Hey, Nathan!” Toni called. “How do I spell your name?”

“R-U-S-H-M-A-N,” Nathan said.

“What, are you going to google him?” Pepper asked.

“Yep,” Toni said. The table beside her had a touchscreen computer embedded in it so Toni could search Nathan Rushman. His file appeared. “An impressive individual,” She informed Pepper. “He’s fluent in French, Italian, Russian, Latin-”

“No one speaks Latin,” Pepper said. “It’s a dead language. You can read Latin, or you can write Latin, but you can’t speak Latin.”

“I’m pretty sure I was supposed to learn Latin pronunciation at Schillian School.” Toni grinned. “He was a model in Tokyo, they’re into that androgyny stuff over there. I  _ think _ he’s attractive, for a guy, I guess? He’s twenty-six and has been a personal assistant thrice before. He’s perfect. He’s got everything I need.”

Nathan turned around to look at Toni. Happy seemed nearly gleeful to tell him off, “Rule number one, never take your eyes off your opponent,” Happy swung at Nathan. Nathan caught Happy’s arm with one hand and extended his left leg into the air, setting it on Happy’s left shoulder. Nathan let his right leg out from under him, and it latched onto the other side of Happy’s neck as they tumbled to the ground. With the forward momentum of his drop, Nathan flipped Happy over him. Nathan landed in a sitting position, where he pulled on Happy’s arm. Happy was splayed out on his back. Nathan, almost as if he was ashamed, then released Happy and stood up.

“Oh my god - Happy!” Pepper exclaimed with concern.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Toni exclaimed with excitement.

“I just slipped,” Happy groaned.

“You did? Really? It looks like a TKO to me,” Toni said, she rang the bell as Nathan climbed out of the ring.

“Just… I need your impression,” Nathan said to Toni.

“You have a quiet reserve. You’re an old soul, but you have hidden brevity within you,” Toni said.

“I meant your fingerprint,” Nathan said. “And signature.”

“Ah,” Toni said. She put her fingerprint on the will and testament and signed both that and the employment contract.

“Will that be all, Ma’am?” Nathan asked.

“No,” Toni said. She opened her mouth to continue, but Pepper interrupted.

“Yes, that will be all, Mr. Rushman. Thank you very much,” Pepper said. Nathan nodded and walked out of the room.

“I want him,” Toni pouted to Pepper.

“No,” Pepper said. “What’s with you? You don’t like men.”

“As a group, no, but as an individual - he seems qualified. And simple. And I need simplicity.” Toni pouted.

“Are you pouting?”

“Please, Pepper?”

“You’re acting like a  _ child _ , making eyes at me like that-”

“Pwetty Pwease, Mommy?” Toni pouted and fluttered her eyelashes.

Pepper rolled her eyes, “You’re still the CEO, Toni, you can do whatever you want.”

“You know as well as I do you’re basically the boss of me,” Toni said. “I won’t do it without your permission, but I  _ really want _ your permission.”

“I’ll inform the candidates that the position is for the COO’s personal assistant and not the CEO’s,” Pepper sighed.

“Thank you, Pep!” Toni smiled. “You’re the best.”

“And the only adult here,” Pepper added.

 

* * *

 

“Ready?” Toni asked Pepper. The car was pulling up in front of the VIP dining area for the Grand Prix de Monaco, where Stark Industries had sponsored an arc-reactor powered racing car as a display of renewable energy. “It’s a bit of a boys club, I admit, but you’ll do fine,” Toni assured Pepper. “You’re my partner in all things Stark, and they ought to get used to that.”

“I’m not worried,” Pepper said, adjusting the neckline of her dress. It was an off-the-shoulder boat neck with unusual twisting at the neckline. The dress was navy blue with white dots, and her shoes were nude flats. It was professional and vintage-inspired, utterly different from Toni’s dramatic ensemble. Toni was wearing cherry red formal shorts, a matching blazer, a black blouse, and ridiculously high black Louboutins. Her prosthetic limbs were some of her best accessories, she found, and showing them off helped promote Stark Industries’ prosthetic line. She wanted to get as much promotion and charity into these last few days as she slowly died of the Palladium in her Arc Reactor. While Palladium itself had relatively low toxicity, in the quantities Toni was absorbing it, it was altering the makeup of her proteins and enzymes. She wasn’t digesting anything properly, but she was also experiencing severe amyloidosis. The result made breathing hard, eating miserable, tingling in her extremities constant, and migraines enduring. She had taken an unhealthy amount of pain medication to just attend an event like this, but she had given up trying to find a solution to live. Her only focus in life now was setting up charity funds and helping Pepper get acquainted with her new role since she would be taking over for Toni sooner than anyone anticipated.

“I’m glad you’re not worried because it’s time to go,” Toni said. She opened the car door and stepped out, waving at the press and forcing a broad smile on her face as Pepper got out on the other side and walked with Toni from the car to the VIP area.

“What about the bag, boss?” Happy called, motioning to the red suitcase. Her Iron Maiden suit, which was helping kill her faster, she and JARVIS had determined. She brought it just in case, but she didn’t want it.

“Leave it in the trunk,” Toni called back.

“Miss Stark, ma’am,” Toni’s new assistant, Nathan, greeted her in the crowd as she and Pepper were entering the building.

“Yes, Mr. Rushman?” Toni asked.

“How was your flight?” Nathan asked politely.

“Fine, what’s on the agenda?”

“We have one photographer from the ACM if you don’t mind?”

“That’s fine,” Toni nodded. “What else?”

“You and Miss Potts have dinner at nine-thirty.”

“Great, we’ll be a bit late,” Toni said.

“Why will we be late?” Pepper asked.

“Always say you’ll be late because you’re so busy, then people will be happy when you’re on time,” Toni advised Pepper. “They’ll feel like they mean more to you, somehow, and all you did was do what they asked you to do in the first place.”

She and Pepper were standing by a table that looked nice, Toni turned to Nathan, “Is this us?” She asked, pointing at the table.

“It can be,” Nathan said.

“Great, Make it us,” Toni ordered. Nathan nodded and left. A few people came over to greet her.

“Hi, Toni. Hi, Pepper,” Another billionaire came over.

“Hi, Mr. Musk,” Pepper said politely.

“Congratulations on your new promotion,” Musk said. “I think Toni made an excellent choice.”

“Of course I did,” Toni said. “I heard about your Merlin engines, Elon. Cute project.”

“You know,” Musk said. “I’ve got an idea for an electric jet.”

“It’s a good idea,” Toni said. “I think you’ve made an excellent choice.” She smiled and Elon Musk, satisfied, walked away. “Of course your over-patenting and labor ethics are something else  _ entirely _ ,” Toni added quietly, with disdain. She and Pepper continued walking around and greeting people. “You seem tense, need a massage? Because I can have Nathan book-”

“I don’t want Nathan to - I don’t need a massage.”

“Wow, Pep,” Toni crossed her arms and smiled. “Green is not a good color on you.”

“Oh, please,” Pepper laughed. “You wish.” Then her expression went very sour.

“Antoinette, is that you?” The voice of Justin Hammer manifested behind Toni she turned around. He was wearing a tan suit, and he actually looked Toni up and down and licked his lips. Toni wanted to both run away, shudder, and punch him in the face in the same instant. Instead, she grimaced and turned to Pepper.

“My least favorite person on earth,” She whispered, before turning back to Hammer.

“How you doing? You look amazing. Your legs look amazing, and not just the prosthetics,” He said, leering at her.

“Yeah, I know,” Toni said.

Justin then remembered there was another woman with him. One Toni recognized, “You know Christine Everhart from Vanity Fair. You guys know each other?”

“Hi, yes,” Christine said, smiling at Toni with a knowing look in her eye.

“Yes,” Pepper and Toni nodded

“BTW: Pepper Potts, the new COO of Stark Industries,” Justin said to Christine as if Pepper’s accomplishments were his doing.

“I know,” Christine smiled at Pepper.

“Congratulations,” Justin added.

“My editor will kill me if I don’t get a quote from the two of your for our Powerful Women issue.”

“Oh,” Pepper said, shocked that she was considered a Powerful Woman like Toni.

“Can I?” Christine asked.

“Absolutely,” Toni said.

“Sure,” Pepper said at the same time.

Justin, realizing that Christine was more interested in Toni and Pepper than him, tried to make himself essential again by speaking, “She’s actually doing a big spread on me for Vanity Fair. I thought I’d throw her a bone, you know. Right?”

“Right. Well, she did quite a spread on Toni last year,” Pepper said.

“And she wrote a story as well,” Toni said lowly. Christine and Pepper rolled their eyes, and Justin looked confused, being a heterosexual man surrounded by three not-heterosexual women.

“It was impressive,” Pepper said.

“It was good,” Toni agreed.

“It was a very well done article,” Pepper complimented Christine.

“Thank you,” Christine said.

“I’m going to the washroom, then we can talk,” Pepper told Christine.

“Don’t leave me,” Toni whispered. Pepper left her.

Justin was insistent on talking to Toni, “So, how’s it going?”

“I’m fine,” Toni said.

“You’re looking gorgeous,” Justin said appreciatively.

“I am,” Toni agreed.

“Can I ask you,” Christine said to Toni and Justin. “Is this the first time-”

They were interrupted by a cameraman trying to take a picture of the two. Justin tried to sling his arm around Toni’s shoulders, but she stepped out of the frame, leaving him to awkwardly take a picture with his arm half-risen in the air as he tried to speak French, but only knew names of cheese. Toni kept trying to walk away from Hammer, but he was completely oblivious to his existence.

Christine continued, “-that you two have seen each other since the Senate?”

“Since he got his contract revoked?” Toni asked.

“Actually, it’s on hold,” Hammer said.

“That’s not what I heard,” Toni said. “The difference between ‘on hold’ and ‘revoked’ is the truth.”

“Can we put that away?” Hammer motioned to Christine’s microphone, finally embarrassed. “Look, Toni, the truth is, I’m actually hoping to present something at your expo.”

“You built something that wasn’t a weapon?” Toni asked, shocked.

“Well, I mean, it depends on your definition of a weapon-”

“Actually, Justin, it depends on  _ your _ definition of a weapon. I believe the specifications for having a slot at the expo is having developed something that you believe can be used to better society without having applications to cause harm. If your creation fits those specifications, then, absolutely, you can have a slot next week.”

“Well, I mean, if it has diverse applications and most of them-”

“All of them, Justin. If it works and is certifiably hippie, those are the specifications.”

“Are you sure those are the specifications?” Justin asked.

“Well, gee whiz, Hammer, I only created the expo and wrote the specifications. Maybe I’m just crazy because of my lady parts.”

“I never said-”

“Ma’am,” Nathan said, walking over. “Your corner table is ready, Ma’am.”

“Thanks,” Toni said. “Get me a ginger ale from the bar, please.”

“I… I think I can get that slot,” Hammer said,

“Great, we’re still accepting applications, I’ll tell my people to put a rush on yours,” Toni said. “After all, you clearly need one.”

“She’s kidding, yeah, we’re kidders.”

“Never claim to know my intentions again,” Toni said sharply. “I’m going to my table, you’re not. Christine, find Pep and me in a bit for an interview for Powerful Women.”

Toni went over to the table and sat down. Underneath the table, she pricked her finger and tested her level of poisoning: A bit over sixty percent. She sighed.

 Now would be the time to do something stupid, but years of being told the consequences of a woman seeming irrational made her decide not to, but it was a close decision. The desire to tell society to fuck itself was also strong. Ultimately, Toni decided she really wouldn’t enjoy doing something stupid with a headache, nausea, and chest pain, so it was better to just look pretty and be there for Pepper in her final days. Pepper. If Toni wanted to do anything before she died, it was Pepper. But she also knew that the consequences would be hard on Pepper without them confusing and muddying their relationship like that. Besides, she would have to tell Pepper the truth if Pepper saw her torso, and that was something that Toni absolutely could not do. She was trying to write Pepper a letter after she died so Pepper could know what she meant to Toni, but Toni couldn’t get out a single word even on pen and paper.

On the other side of the room, Hammer was still talking to Christine, “Toni and I… Toni… I love Toni Stark. Toni loves me. We’re not competitors. Her being out of the picture created tremendous opportunities for Hammer Industries, you know? Everything that Toni and I do is a healthy competition.”

“Sexual harassment is healthy competition?” Pepper asked quietly as she sat down. Toni smiled. “Was it too hard to be without me for ten minutes?”

“Tortuous,” Toni said. “I can’t breathe without you beside me.”

Pepper rolled her eyes and leaned back in the chair. 

“Toni’s… You know, she… We’re not competitive. You know what I mean?” Hammer was still repeating himself.

“We’re not competitors who partake in a healthy competition despite our lack of competitiveness?” Toni asked quietly. “Hammer, stop dancing between angles like a drunk pendulum.”

Christine saw Pepper and Toni sitting down together, and knew that a better interview was right there. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, can you excuse me just one second?” She asked.

“Just read me what you wrote-”

“I will, I will, after,” Christine said, already starting toward Pepper and Toni.

“Just read it back to me-”

“I have to make a phone call,” Christine lied, waving him off, and making a beeline toward Toni and Pepper. Justin sighed as Christine reached the table and sat down with Pepper and Toni. “Do you mind if I record?”

“Not at all,” Toni said with a smile.


	3. Whiplash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has so far shown their appreciation! I love all of you so much! Don't be afraid to talk to me, even if you want to say something you think might be stupid. Interacting with you is my favorite part of writing, and it's why I publish instead of hoarding all my fics like a greedy, antisocial goblin.

The interview had gone decently well, and Christine was wrapping up. Toni had let Pepper talk more than her, and Pepper had said some decent things. The interview was going to be flattering to Pepper and Toni, and quite sharp toward the other rich men in the room.

 

“So my last question is, how did Miss Potts become your most trusted advisor, Toni? From a secretary in the financial department to your assistant to the COO of Stark Industries?” Christine asked. Toni grinned. The story of how she met Pepper was her favorite story.

 

“Oh, please don’t tell the story,” Pepper begged.

 

“We promised an interview,” Toni said.

 

“It’s an embarrassing story,” Pepper said.

 

“It’s a badass story,” Toni said. “You were a goddamn badass - it’s the same story for why I call her _Pepper_ instead of her real name, _Virginia_.”

 

“Other than the fact that you hate the name Virginia, you mean,” Pepper said.

 

“I mean, Virginia is a name for old women who like to crochet cardigans,” Toni said.

 

“Just like Antoinette is a name for disillusioned wealthy queens?” Pepper asked.

 

“Touché,” Toni smiled. “I’m telling the story.”

 

“Fine,” Pepper sighed.

 

“So, you probably don’t remember because it was seven or so years ago, but we were doing a merger with AL Steel,” Toni said. “Although it was an acquisition, they were saying ‘merger’ to save face. We offered them two hundred million, and they wanted an extra forty. This is a failing company, by the way. We tried to make a counteroffer, so their lawyers slammed us with financial paperwork which primarily all was used to confirm that they were worth the extra forty, but I thought it was fishy, so I had my financial analysts go over everything. The idiot who was running the department-”

 

“My boss at the time,” Pepper added.

 

“Right, his plan was just to check that they weren’t lying, and legitimize the data instead of their calculations. Pepper, who was his secretary, thought something was weird about the math and started compiling graphs and getting information from the SDC database. So, it was the day before we had to finalize the merger, and she came running into my office, with this massive binder, and no shoes. And she was clearly panicked, talking at the speed of light about the merger and the fact that the data they were using was from an average statistic and - a lot of financial stuff I barely understood but definitely believed. And then her boss came in, with a big pink face, and it turns out when she tried to tell him about her conclusions, he - what did he do?”

 

“Threw my binder in the trash and nearly hit me.”

 

“Right, so what did you do?”

 

“I… pepper sprayed him.”

 

“Hence the name,” Christine guessed.

 

“Exactly,” Toni said with a grin. “She also had kicked her shoes off in the elevator so she could sprint to my office. None of my other employees had the initiative or, quite frankly, the balls to do something like that. So I knew I wanted her working as closely as possible with me.”

 

“So, what’s in the future for you and Miss Potts running Stark Industries?” Christine asked.

 

“Well-” Toni began, but she was interrupted by a loud crash. One of the guards for the VIP area was launched through the door, his chest was smoking, his shirt was charred, and when he hit the ground, the smack of his skull reverberated through the room of wealthy sponsors. Toni reacted immediately and flipped the table she, Pepper and Christine were sitting at. She made sure both women were behind cover before peeping over the top of the table to see who the assailant was. It was a man, in an orange pit worker jumpsuit which was unzipped to expose his torso. He had some sort of metal harness on, and two long metal whips which were attached to metal braces on his arms. They were being powered by plasma tubes which led to an arc reactor in the center of his chest. He had stringy dark hair with streaks of grey and a goatee. People were trying to hide in the bathrooms, break down the windows, or hide under and behind tables. He slashed with one of his whips, they were about a meter each in length, and the guard who he had previously attacked seized and burned on the ground. The smell of burning flesh - which Toni remembered all too well from Afghanistan - filled the room.

 

“Crawl,” Toni whispered to the two women. Christine and Pepper crawled, Toni followed behind them. They stayed against the back wall, obscured by the clusters of tables. Toni’s new assistant, Nathan, manifested in front of them, ducked under a table.

 

“What can I do to help?” He asked.

 

“Where’s the emergency exit, do you know?” Toni asked.

 

“There’s one in the kitchens-”

 

“Great, I need you to get them and as many people - everyone - into the kitchens and out of here.”

 

“Toni, you left the football in the car,” Pepper said.

 

“Well, I’ve been told I have a distracting personality. Get everyone to safety. Staff, guards, I don’t care. You got it, Nathan?”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Nathan said. He helped Christine and Pepper crawl along the wall toward the entrance to the kitchens. Toni went the opposite direction, peeping at the orange legs of the attacker between the tables. He had a tendency to stalk back and forth between tables and randomly collapse one. If someone was hiding underneath, he slashed at them with disinterest, but usually, he let them escape. It was as if he was looking for someone.

 

Toni stood up, “Hi,” She said. He turned around, his face went dark, and he slashed at her with speed and accuracy he had not used before. Toni managed to hit the floor at the last second and drag herself under a different table so he couldn’t see her. Okay, the results of that experiment yielded that he was trying to kill her. As long as she managed to stall, everyone could escape. Besides, if she went out like this, it would be less miserable than a slow death from palladium poisoning. She kicked the legs of a table beside her and crawled the other way. The man slashed at the table, breaking it in half, and seemed quite upset she wasn’t there. He started cutting wildly at the nearby tables, although Toni had managed to just escape the range of his tantrum. She had a lot of questions, namely, how the hell did he have an arc reactor?

 

The man must have decided she was going toward the entrance because he positioned himself in front of it, whips crackling at either side and singing the carpets. In fact, there was a fair amount of smoke and fire from his electricity catching on the carpeting and the tablecloths. It was obscuring his vision, which was good for her. Toni also noted that if he managed to get an arc reactor, that could spell success for people trying to develop copies of the Iron Maiden armor and could be dangerous with foreign enemies. She peered up at him from below the tablecloth. He surged at her, and she rolled out of the way, back into the mess of tables and debris. He had two tubes running from the reactor to either whip, which seemed to be the main source of power. He also had an exposed reactor, which was dumb, all sorts of things like debris could find itself in the mechanisms and cause a shortage.

 

“Just a quick question, why are you trying to kill me?” She asked, “Like, I admit I’ve done some fucked up things, so if I hurt you or someone you loved, I’m sorry.”

 

“You Starks are all same.” The man said in a thick Russian accent. “You come from family of thieves and butchers. And now, like all guilty men, you try to rewrite your own history. And you forget lives that Stark family has destroyed.”

 

“You’re right, I am trying to rewrite history,” Toni said. “But I’m trying to remember the consequences of my family. I’m trying to correct what I did wrong and what my father did wrong. I can’t undo the damage done, but I can try to repair it and design a better future.”

 

“You speak empty promises and lies!” He said, slashing at her. The whip grazed her shoulder, cutting and burning it. She gagged in pain and continued crawling, toward the best place of cover, the bar. It seemed like it was just her and this man now, Nathan must have helped everyone escape. She was crawling behind the bar when the whip struck down, inches from her fingertips, and blocked her exit with its bolts of energy arcing. She tried to crawl back, but the second whip blocked the way she came and knocked over a rack of alcohol. Some bottles smashed, but others tumbled to the ground. Where the fumes of the alcohol and the arcs of electricity mixed, there were blasts of fire. Toni pulled a rag over her nose and mouth and started to kick at the shelves, letting more alcohol bottles smash to the ground and catch fire. Soon, the carpet around her was on fire, and the thick blue plumes of smoke were blowing right into Mr. Russian Man’s face. Toni grabbed a very sharp cocktail knife that was behind the bar with her right hand and jumped over the bar. The guy was right there, and before he had time to react, she grabbed the conductive tubes and sliced clean through them. The electricity died down on his whips. She then shoved the knife into the core of the arc reactor. There was a blast that knocked both him and her backward, but mostly him. She tumbled back over the bar and had to climb back out of the dying flames. 

 

He had fallen onto his back, and his arc reactor was stuttering and sparking in his chest, and she knew that it would either die or explode. She needed this guy for information, and also, she was done letting people die. She climbed over, he seemed groggy and concussed. She flipped him over and undid his arc reactor harness. Then she grabbed him by one arm and started pulling him toward the door. He was heavy. She got closer and closer to the exit, watching the harness pop and spark on the ground. She made it to the entrance when she heard everything go very quiet, and somehow she _knew_ what would come next. She hit the ground, covered her head with her arms, and a blast of fire shot upward into the sky. The ceiling of the VIP area caved in, and there were fire and smoke now streaming thickly out of every orifice of the building. Somehow, she and the man had survived the blast.

 

“I fucking hate explosions,” She coughed, her eyes were watering, and she was covered in a layer of dust and ash. Her throat burned from smoke inhalation and the skin of her prosthetics was charred from when she had fallen into the fire. There was a crowd of people. Concerned billionaires, paramedics, police, the fire brigade. Toni shakily stood up, the balancing sensors of her prosthetics were damaged, or maybe it was her inner ear.

 

“Don’t worry!” She told the crowd. “I’ll pay for it.” She motioned to the building behind her. In the crowd, her eyes landed on Pepper who was carrying the red briefcase and had a look of shock and concern.

 

* * *

 

“You know,” Toni said, walking into the cell where they were holding this man. “If you had spoken to me about whatever reason you just attacked me, I might have been more receptive. But I am curious, how’d you get the design for an arc reactor?”

 

“My father, Anton Vanko.”

 

“I’m not familiar with that name,” Toni said.

 

“My father is reason you’re alive,” Vanko said. He looked at her, “And also reason you are dying, I see. Palladium in chest, painful way to die.”

 

“Did your father ever work with mine?” Toni asked.

 

“Yes. They worked on arc reactor project together,” Vanko said. “But your father never credited mine or gave money earned from success.”

 

“If what you’re saying is true,” Toni stood up. “That doesn’t justify the lives you took today.”

 

“You have never wanted revenge?”

 

“I know who deserves revenge and who doesn’t,” Toni said. “Innocent people in your way don’t deserve your anger. My father made mistakes, and his past has demons even I don’t know, but he’s dead. You’re looking for a place to direct your anger, that I can understand, but the fact that you directed it to murder is why you’re going to stay in this prison cell.” She stood up and left the room.

 

* * *

 

On the plane from Monaco to Malibu, Toni took a shower, changed into something comfortable, and tried to use the kitchenette on the jet to make Pepper an omelet as an apology for the recent attack. There were a few failures. Senator Stern was on TV as Toni was finishing the plating of the egg.

 

“It’s just unbelievable.” The man said with his lumpy, too-wide mouth, “It proves that the genie is out of the bottle and this girl has no idea what she’s doing. She thinks of the Iron Maiden weapon as a toy. I was at a hearing where Miss Stark, in fact, was adamant that these suits can’t exist anywhere else, don’t exist anywhere else, never will exist anywhere else, at least for five to ten years, and here we are in Monaco realizing, ‘These suits exist now.’”

 

“Mute,” She ordered as she walked into the main part of the plane with the omelet. “I would love to see someone try to take out the _Iron Maiden_ suit with vodka and a cocktail knife.”

 

“What is that?” Pepper asked.

 

“This is your in-flight meal,” Toni said.

 

“Did you make that?”

 

“Yeah, where do you think I’ve been for the last three hours?” Toni asked.

 

“How’s your arm?” Pepper asked.

 

“Fine. It’s just a scratch.”

 

“Toni,” Pepper said. “What are you not telling me?”

 

If Toni said “I’m dying” Pepper wouldn’t believe her at first, and then would slowly descend into panic and worry until she was sobbing and making promises to Toni she couldn’t keep. If Toni said “I love you” Pepper would scoff and roll her eyes, no matter how much Toni would have wanted her to lunge across the tiny table in the plane and start kissing her until she couldn't breathe. If Toni said “let’s run away together” Pepper would pull out a somehow well-articulated argument with every reason why that was a terrible idea because of the current turn of events

 

“That man said that his father worked with Daddy,” Toni said, looking out the window. “That they made the arc reactor together. And if he is right, how much more of my legacy was stolen?”

 

“Does it matter what mistakes your father made?” Pepper asked. “That’s never been who you are.”

 

“Still, how much don’t I know about him?” Toni asked. “I mean, clearly, a lot. I’m sure he had a slew of mistresses I never met and a staggering number of demons in his closet. But I never imagined Daddy dearest actually stealing ideas.”

 

* * *

 

Upon return to Malibu, Toni Stark lived in her workshop. She had Nathan cancel her birthday party because the last thing she wanted was a celebration that she was only going to make it to forty.

 

“Query complete, ma’am, Anton Vanko was a Soviet physicist who defected to the United States in 1963. However, he was accused of espionage and was deported in 1967. His son, Ivan, who is also a physicist, was convicted of selling Soviet-era weapons-grade plutonium to Pakistan and served 15 years in Kopeisk prison. No further records exist.” JARVIS explained. While she listened, Toni replaced her newest Palladium core and pulled her shirt down just as Rhodey came in.

 

“Toni,” He said, concerned. “You gotta get upstairs and get on top of this situation right now. Listen. I’ve been on the phone with the National Guard all day, trying to talk them out of rolling tanks up the PCH, knocking down your front door and taking these. They’re gonna take your suits, Toni, okay? They’re sick of the games. You said nobody else would possess this technology for twenty years. Well, guess what? Somebody else had it yesterday.”

 

“Oh, exaggerate,” Toni said, moving her wheelchair from her workbench to facing Rhodey. Replacement prosthetics were being rendered as they spoke, and she was using her chair in the meantime instead of wearing the busted ones. “The man had one arc reactor, a harness, silicone tubes, and two whips made out of chains. Quite frankly, it could be done by an ambitious middle schooler, except for the arc reactor part, and I’m working on how he got that.”

 

“Great,” Rhodey said. “Then you should talk to my people about it and calm them down, Toni.

 

“That legitimizes their concerns,” Toni said. “And contrary to popular belief, I know what I’m doing.” Toni wheeled to the elevator between the basement and main level. Rhodey followed her. “Did I hear correctly that there was some footage obtained?” She asked.

 

“One of the cameras in the VIP area was left recording, and there is footage of you taking down that Vanko dude.”

 

“Great,” Toni said. The elevator doors opened, and she wheeled out to where Nathan and Pepper were working.

 

“You’ve been in your workshop all day,” Pepper said.

 

“Sorry, legs don’t build themselves,” Toni said.

 

“And you canceled your party?” Pepper asked.

 

“I felt like it sent the wrong message in this trying time,” Toni replied. “Plus I’m a little traumatized from the last party, Pep.”

 

“We need to submit an official statement,” Pepper said. “Nathan read Toni what we’ve come up with so far.”

 

Nathan cleared his throat, “The event in Monaco, while unfortunate, was isolated. Stark Industries’ rejects the claim that this is indicative of Miss Stark’s inability to control her own technology, nor of the increasing dangers of people with similar technology. The connection between the creation by Mr. Vanko and the Iron Maiden is incongruous, as Mr. Vanko’s prototype, while effective to a limited extent, was still a decade behind Miss Stark’s technology.”

 

“And that’s just the initial press statement,” Pepper said. “I can arrange a conference if you want to talk about Vanko’s connection to your father.”

 

“Wait, what?” Rhodey asked.

 

“Ivan Vanko’s father, Anton, was my father’s partner on the arc reactor project, but my father never credited him,” Toni explained. “It all went down before I was born. Ivan’s father was deported in sixty-seven for espionage, so it’s possible my father didn’t steal his idea as much as he erased his name from it because of the espionage charges. It’s still a shitty move. That’s how he had an arc reactor.”

 

“So, if Ivan told his son how to make one, conceivably, anybody could make one?” Rhodey asked. “Wasn’t that a pillar of your argument, that nobody could make a reactor?”

 

“I think that his knowledge died with him.” Toni was, of course, referring to the recent information that he died in a riot. Although, she wasn’t sure she trusted that report. “I’m trying to investigate the extent of this,” Toni said. “Besides, Ivan’s reactor was shit. It was just enough to power his two whips.”

 

“And blow up a building.”

 

“Well, I suppose,” Toni said. “The point is, it still wouldn’t have been viable to pilot a suit like mine for more than fifteen minutes, maximum.”

 

“A suit like yours could do a lot of damage in fifteen minutes,” Rhodey reminded her.

 

“I’m aware of the consequences, shockingly,” Toni said.

 

“I’ll stick my neck out for you, Tones,” Rhodey said. “But I can’t guarantee what happens. They’re not confident in you, they never have been.”

 

“I’m well aware,” Toni said sharply. “Is that all? Can I go back downstairs?”

 

Nobody told her she shouldn’t, so she went back downstairs.

 

* * *

 

Nathan came downstairs twice the next day to deliver her food, while she was up to her eyeballs in specs, images from Monaco, and intelligence reports surrounding the Vanko family.

 

“You know,” Nathan said, sitting down after delivering her lunch, “You’re not what I was expecting.”

 

“What were you expecting?” Toni asked, still in her wheelchair. It wasn’t that her new prosthetics weren’t ready, it’s that last time she tried to stand up, she couldn’t. She blamed either the explosion or the palladium poisoning. “A ditz? Some party-girl who made it to forty?”

 

“No,” Nathan said. “Happy birthday, by the way. I was expecting someone who was less… serious.”

 

Toni laughed, “Tell that joke to Pepper, she’ll get a kick out of it.”

 

“I’m not joking. Whenever I saw you, you always seemed more relaxed, free. Like you were effortlessly enjoying life despite everything.”

 

“Well, that’s the image that sells,” Toni said. “Nobody wants to see reality.”

 

“And what is the reality, ma’am?”

 

“That I’m human,” Toni said. “Before I was some sort of Princess, you know? The heir to the throne of Stark Industries. I was a brilliant showboat, a puppet in a role controlled by everyone around me. I liked alcohol, luxury, freedom, and I had a different lover in my bed every night. But I suffered, and I struggled, and I’m really just an adult woman with a laundry list of personal failures and shrapnel in her chest, trying her best. So, I’m sorry if I didn’t live up to what you were expecting.”

 

“I like reality better,” Nathan said. Toni looked at him. He was sitting down, with a lopsided smile. Toni realized with a shock that he had a _crush_ on her. At least, that’s what she was getting from his boyish, puppy-dog expression. She was flattered. He stood up, “Because, like, you’re Toni Stark. The Iron Maiden. You might not realize it, but no little girls want to be princesses anymore. They want to be Iron Maidens. And you’re not perfect, but you’re hard-working, and it’s inspiring to have you as a role model.”

 

“I don’t need you to be my cheerleader, Mr. Rushman,” Toni said. “I know I’m 'inspirational.'” She made air quotes with her fingers. "It just means I'm famous."

 

“You’re confident,” He told her.

 

“I’m arrogant,” She rolled her eyes and started to a different workbench to check some specs that JARVIS just ran.

 

“You’re compassionate,” He continued.

 

“I’m just making up for the sins of my past,” She sighed.

 

“You’re a good person,” he said.

 

“Good people don’t have to see young soldiers get murdered before they realize that selling bombs is bad,” Toni told him. “Make yourself useful and get me summaries of today’s presentations at the expo.”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Nathan said, shaking his head as he left.


	4. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has so far read and enjoyed! We're quickly approaching the end of Iron Maiden 2, and I've enjoyed speaking to those of you who have commented so far. Seeing your appreciation and interest in my work through kudos, bookmarks, comments, and subscriptions fills me with absolute joy. I appreciate every single one of you!
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Toni was immersed in a random page from a CIA intelligence report on Anton Vanko from 1966, evaluating the extent of his espionage. She barely noticed the knock on her door.

“Ma’am, Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes is requesting entrance,” JARVIS said.

“Let him in,” Toni said, excited that she had a break in the case. “Hey, Rhodey, I think I know why Anton hated my father so much. It looks like Daddy dearest was the one who submitted intelligence reports incriminating Anton, I don’t know if he did it knowing it would make him the sole creator of the arc reactor or if it was just because he loved America, but I’m looking through Anton’s old specs, and they’re very similar to Ivan’s. Same slow cycles, same exposed core-” Toni turned to look at Rhodey who was standing there with a very grave expression. “Is everything okay?”

“My superiors weren’t satisfied with my stalling,” Rhodey said. “At noon tomorrow, they’re sending a convoy to seize all your property unless you willingly deliver Iron Maiden armor to the U.S. Military.”

“JARVIS,” Toni said. “Activate the self-destruct-”

“Toni?” Rhodes asked.

“-If you get out of here, I can blow up with my house nice and easy-”

“Toni-” Rhodey began.

“Relax, there’s no self-destruct,” Toni said. “Although, that would’ve been a good idea.”

“Toni, I don’t want to do this-”

“Oh, I’m sure in your brain this is the best way for everything to go,” Toni said. “I’m sure that this is the best case scenario for you.”

“And for you, Toni. They’re taking it, or you’re giving it. At least this way, you have some control over the situation.”

“Control over the situation? I said I’m out. No more weapons. Blood on my hands and I can’t get it out. Begone, spot, am I right?” Toni was sweating and rocking back and forth with the wheelchair. Her face went slack, she doubled over, and threw up at her feet, a brown, green, and red puddle splashing on the ground.

“Toni - are you alright? Have you been drinking?” Rhodey asked.

“I wish,” Toni said. “It might numb the pain.”

“Are you sick?” Rhodey asked, shocked.

“Real genius here,” Toni said. “Most brilliant man I know - yeah I’m sick. I’m  _ dying _ .”

“Did you eat something bad-”

“No, I’m actually dying,” Toni said. “The arc reactor is fucking up my organs. I have protein deposits where protein deposits should not be.”

“Wait,” Rhodey said. “How long do you have left?”

“A week?” Toni asked. “I mean, I’d be in a coma for the last few days, so I’m not sure if that counts. Please don’t tell Pepper. I don’t want her to worry about the inevitable. My organs are shutting down, my pee is pink, can’t keep anything down, so really, take your pick. It’s all up for grabs. Want a sixth-eighths wrench and my Lambo? Promise me the military won’t kill children with my suits? Of course, if it’s an enemy child, they’ll justify it-”

“Toni - I can get you to a hospital-”

“If I could be cured, I wouldn’t let myself have gotten this sick,” Toni said to Rhodey. She wheeled over to where her new prosthetics were sitting, and she put them on. She stood up, nearly collapsing on her way to the Iron Maiden suits. She stepped into her Mark Four, even though it would exacerbate her condition. At least she could die flying.

“Toni-” Rhodey was following her.

“Take Mark Two, more customizability,” Toni said. “Careful of the icing, though.” The suit built itself around her.

“Ma’am, I don’t recommend flying in your condition,” JARVIS said.

“Just take me into the sky,” Toni ordered. The suit activated, and Toni launched into the sky. When she was dizzy and in pain, flying was actually not as enjoyable as she was expecting. She might have peed in her suit as JARVIS took her across the shoreline. She fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Toni was sitting in a giant donut. An open box of donuts was on her lap. She had managed not to die last night and woke up starving. She didn’t care that she might throw it all up in a few hours, she wanted the fried, sweet breakfast foot.

“Ma’am!” A man called. She looked down at him through her sunglasses. It was that bald Director Fury man. “I’m gonna have to ask you to exit the doughnut.”

 

* * *

 

Inside the donut establishment, Fury and Toni sat in a booth together. “I don’t want to join your super secret boy band,” Toni said.

“No, no, no. See, I remember, you do everything yourself. How’s that working out for you?”

“I’m a goddamn mess with or without people,” Toni said.

“Yeah,” Fury said, looking at the dark rash on her neck, “That’s not looking too good.”

“I’ve been worse,” Toni lied.

“We’ve secured the perimeter, but I don’t think we should hold it for too much longer.” An agent said to Fury as he walked up. Toni looked over her glasses at her new assistant, Nathan.

“You’re fired,” She said shortly.

“That’s not up to you,” Nathan said, sitting down beside Fury. The man was wearing a goddamn catsuit. But, upon closer inspection, Toni realized that Nathan looked different. Wearing tight tactical gear highlighted how broad Nathan’s hips were and how the slight bulge in his chest, which Toni assumed was his muscle, might've been something else. His jaw was less square than usual, his nose looked different, and the stubble on his chin was gone. His voice was also even higher than usual, now somewhere in the alto range. Toni was no longer sure that Nathan was a man.

“Toni, I want you to meet Agent Romanoff,” Fury said.

“Hi,” Toni said.

“Once we knew you were ill, I was tasked to you by Director Fury,  
 Romanoff explained.

“And by ‘tasked to me’ does that mean ‘ordered to seduce me?’” Toni asked.

“I was tasked to gain your trust by any means necessary. I am particularly skilled in gaining the affections of, well anyone,” Romanoff said. “I admit, you were the first time I wasn’t successful.”

Toni burst out laughing, gasping and slapping the table. “You didn’t know,” She wheezed. “Oh god - you’re freaking  _ spies _ .”

“What did we know, Miss Stark?” Fury asked.

“Oh, I’m gay,” Toni said, “And I’m actually crying, shit.”

“I told you, sir,” Romanoff said. “After I saw Miss Stark and Miss Potts, I told you I should have gone in as Natalie-”

“I’m aware of what I said, Agent Romanoff.”

“-You told me I was reading into female friendship too intently, sir.”

“To be fair, Pepper and I are friends,” Toni said. “I mean, I love her and would kiss her at her every whim, but we’re just friends at the moment. And, now, let’s unpack the whole ‘I should have gone in as Natalie’ part, what does that mean?”

Romanoff looked at Fury with a tried expression and stood up. Fury turned to Toni, “You’ve been very busy. You made your girl your CEO, you’re giving away all your stuff, and you let your friend fly away with your suit. Now, if I didn’t know better-”

“Cut to the chase, why are you here?” Toni asked. “I’m trying to die in peace.”

“Why am I here? Why am I here?” Fury asked, nodding to Romanoff, who stood up and left. Fury continued. “You have become a problem, a problem I have to deal with. Contrary to your belief, you are not the center of my universe. I have bigger problems than you in the southwest region to deal with.” Fury looked behind Toni, “Hit her.”

“Ow!” Toni yelped as Romanoff plunged a needle in her neck. “Are you going to steal my kidneys? They’re kinda useless right now. What did you do to me?”

 

“What did we just do for you? That’s lithium dioxide. It’s gonna take the edge off. We’re trying to get you back to work,” Fury said. Toni did notice that, immediately, she was feeling better. Her migraine and stomach pain subsided, she could breathe easier, and her nausea faded. She could sit up straight without the room spinning.

“Give me a couple of boxes of that. I’ll be right as rain,” Toni said.

“It’s not a cure, it just abates the symptoms,” Romanoff said.

“Is Nathan your real name?” Toni asked over him. “Because ‘Romanoff’ sounds Russian and ‘Nathan’ isn’t.”

“I was born Natalia Romanova,” Agent Romanoff said. “Nathan Rushman was an alias.”

“Wow, really?” Toni asked sarcastically. “Wait, if your birth name is Natalia - are you a girl?”

“I was born one. Now, I'm whatever I need to be,” Romanoff said. “I’m Agent Romanoff.”

“Fixing you is not going to be easy,” Fury said to Toni, changing the topic.

“My therapist said the same thing,” Toni agreed. “I’m good at this stuff. I’ve been looking for a suitable replacement for palladium. I’ve tried every combination, every permutation of every known element-”

“Well, I’m here to tell you, you haven’t tried them all,” Fury said.

Toni leaned forward, “Consider me intrigued, Director Fury.”

“Well, if you want to continue, we should move somewhere more secure.”

“My house,” Toni said. “You know where it is, I’m sure.”

“We can meet you there,” Fury nodded.

 

* * *

 

An hour later, Toni was wearing a golden silk and charmeuse dressing gown with dramatic back marabou cuffs and hems. She sat on her couch beside Nick Fury in his typical leather duster. 

“That thing in your chest is based on unfinished technology,” Fury told her.

“No, it was finished. It has never been particularly effective until I miniaturized it and put it in my-”

“No. Howard said the arc reactor was the stepping stone to something greater. He was about to kick off an energy race that was gonna dwarf the arms race. He was on to something big, something so big that it was gonna make the nuclear reactor look like a triple-A battery.”

“Just him, or was Anton Vanko in on this too?”

“Anton Vanko is the other side of that coin. Anton saw it as a way to get rich. When your father found out, he had him deported. When the Russians found out, he couldn’t deliver they shipped his ass off to Siberia, and he spent the next 20 years in a vodka-fuelled rage. Not quite the environment you want to raise a kid in, the son you had the misfortune of crossing paths with in Monaco.”

“You told me I hadn’t tried everything. What do you mean I haven’t tried everything? What haven’t I tried?”

“He said that you were the only person with the means and knowledge to finish what he started.”

“He said that?” Toni asked. “And how exactly do you know Daddy so well?”

“He didn’t tell you anything did he?” Fury asked, shaking his head. “I suppose he wasn’t planning on going when he did. He wanted to keep you innocent as long as possible, but he believed irrevocably that you were his successor in every way.”

“I don’t know where you get your information, but he wasn’t my biggest fan,” Toni said.

“What do you remember of your father?” Fury asked.

“He was cold, he was calculating. He never told me he loved me. He never even told me he liked me, so it’s a little tough for me to digest when you’re telling me he said the whole future was riding on me and he’s passing it down. I don’t get that. You’re talking about a guy whose happiest day was when he shipped me off to boarding school,” Toni said.

“That’s not true,” Fury said.

“Well, then you definitely knew my father better than I did,” Toni said.

“As a matter of fact, I did. He was one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Fury said.

“He was  _ what _ ?” Toni asked, completely shocked.

“I got a two o’clock,” Fury said standing up.

“Now, hold on, buddy,” Toni said. “You can’t just tell a girl her dad founded a spy agency and the prance away-”

“Romanoff will remain a floater at Stark with their cover intact. You remember Agent Coulson, right?” Fury asked. Agent Coulson walked into the room.

“Yeah,” Toni nodded.

“And Toni, remember, I got my eye on you,” He said before leaving.

“We’ve disabled all communications. No contact with the outside world. Good luck,” Agent Romanoff said to Toni.

Toni turned to Coulson, “Please. First thing, I need a little bodywork. I’ll put in a little time at the lab. If we could send one of your goon squad down to The Coffee Bean, Cross Creek, for a Starbucks run, or something like that, that’d be nice.”

“I’m not here for that. I’ve been authorized by Director Fury to use any means necessary to keep you on the premises. If you attempt to leave or play any games, I will tase you and watch Supernanny while you drool into the carpet. Okay?”

“I think I got it, yeah,” Toni said. “You’re into some kinky shit, Coulson.”

Coulson nodded, “Enjoy your evening’s entertainment,” he motioned to the box that Fury had brought for Toni, and then he left.

 

* * *

 

Toni put her father’s old reels on the television, listening to what he was saying while she flipped through newspaper clippings and arc reactor blueprints. She was looking through one of his journals and keeping an ear open to the television, “Everything is achievable through technology. Better living, robust health, and for the first time in human history, the possibility of world peace. I’m Howard Stark, and everything you’ll need for the future can be found right here: City of the Future? City of Tomorrow? City of-” Howard stopped. “I’m Howard Stark and everything you’ll need in the future can be found right here. So, from all of us at Stark Industries, I would like to personally - Toni!” Toni looked up to see a young version of herself with pigtails pick up a building from the display behind her father. “What are you doing back there, what is that? Put that back.”

“But  _ Daddy _ ,” young Toni said indignantly. “I want to  _ play _ .”

“No, Put it back where you got it from. Where’s your mother? Maria?” Howard called. Jarvis, her old butler, came forward and picked up Toni. “Go on, go, go, go, go, go, go,” He waved his daughter and butler off the camera. 

After some adjusting, they reset, and Howard continued after downing a glass of whiskey. Toni turned back to flipping through the notebook as they kept trying lines. 

“So, from all of us at Stark Industries, I’d like to personally show you my ass. I’d like to - I can’t - This is - I can’t - We have this, don’t we? This is a ridiculous way… Everything-” Toni reached the end of the notebook. Blank pages he never got to fill. “- is achievable through technology.” Toni angrily tossed away the notebook. “Toni,” Her father said. She looked up. Did small Toni fuck something up again? No, her father was looking into the camera, looking at  _ her _ . “You’re too young to understand this right now, so I thought I would put it on film for you. I built this for you.” He motioned at the diagram of the expo behind him. “And someday you’ll realize that it represents a whole lot more than just people’s inventions. It represents my life’s work. This is the key to the future. I’m limited by the technology of my time, but one day you’ll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world. What is and always will be my greatest creation is you.”

“Am I crying?” Toni asked herself as she wiped at her eyes. “Damn.” Toni turned off the television and paced. “Hey, J, where’s that model?”

“It remains in your office at Stark Industries, ma’am.”

“Great, can you like… no, I should go see Pep.” Toni headed to her bedroom to get dressed in dark jeans and a blouse. She was expecting more of a reaction from S.H.I.E.L.D. when she drove out of her garage and toward Stark Industries. She rushed past everything, intent on, firstly, apologizing to Pepper and, secondarily, getting the model.

Pepper was in her fancy new COO office, right beside Toni’s office which she never used. Toni brushed past Pepper’s new personal assistant and into her office. She was on the phone, “Listen, it’s our position that Stark has and continues to maintain proprietary ownership of the Mark two platform.”

“When Miss Stark announced she was indeed Iron Maiden, she was making a promise to America,” An angry man was saying on the television.

“Mute,” Toni said to the television. The man was roaring about her in silence, and Toni turned to Pepper.

“No, the suit belongs to us - Yeah, but you’re not - Burt!” Pepper said sharply. Toni looked around. Now Toni’s face was on the television. She really hoped that they didn’t say anything rude about Pepper. “No - No - No, Burt - Burt, listen to me. Don’t tell me that we have the best patent lawyers in the country and then not let me pursue this - ah! - Well, then, tell the President to sign an order. We’ll talk about it at the Expo. Hammer’s giving some presentation tomorrow evening. Will Toni Stark be there?” Pepper looked at Toni, “No, she will not be. Bye.”

"Got a minute?” Toni asked.

“For what?” Pepper asked.

“An apology,” Toni said. Pepper squinted at her. “From me, I’m apologizing. I’m sorry for my recent blunder.”

“You gave the military the Mark Two-”

“Well, to be fair, Rhodey said they’d show up and take everything if I didn’t, and I wasn’t in a good place at the time-”

“He said you were clearly sick, throwing up and tripping all over yourself. Were you drinking?” Pepper asked.

“No, I was sick,” Toni said. “And I left to find someone to make me better.”

“I called  _ every single hospital  _ in the  _ state _ !” Pepper said.

“It wasn’t a hospital,” Toni said. “But they did help me.”

“Did you check yourself into psychiatric care?” Pepper asked.

“It was a bit more… holistic,” Toni said. “And confidential. But I’m better. And so, I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting. And not just with Rhodey. All the distance and putting myself in danger these last few days, I’ve been ill for a while.”

“But you’re getting treatment?” Pepper asked.

“Yeah,” Toni said. “I’m getting treatment. So, I apologize for, you know, being me.”

Pepper sat down, “You really screwed us, Toni, do you know that?”

“I’m becoming aware of that,” Toni said.

“And you kept things from me. I can’t help you if you don’t let me-”

“I didn’t want you to help me,” Toni said. Pepper rose her eyebrows. “No, not like that. I didn’t want you to help  _ me _ . I’d be a waste of your precious time, and you’re capable of so much more without caring for my sorry ass-”

“You said that we would be partners, then you left and put everything on me. I’m a lot, Toni, but I’m not you,” Pepper said.

“I’m sorry,” Toni said.

She and Pepper were quiet for a while, looking at each other across the desk.

“I need you to leave,” Pepper said.

“Okay,” Toni sighed, “Can I grab a few things from my office, first?”

“Go ahead,” Pepper said.

“Miss Potts,” Pepper’s assistant said as she stepped into the room, “Wheels up in twenty-five minutes.”

“Yes, thank you,” Pepper said. “Tell Happy I’ll be down in a minute.”

“You’re going to the Expo?” Toni asked.

“I just need something to do somewhere other than California,” Pepper said. “We can talk more when I’m back.”

“Right,” Toni said. “Alright, uh, fly safely.” Toni stood up and left Pepper’s office, heading to her office, where Romanoff was sitting in his small corner desk.

“I thought you were on house arrest,” Romanoff said as he (she? they?) walked in.

“Well, you should tell your spy people that their security is lacking,” Toni said. “I need to grab some things from my office.” Toni headed over to a pile of boxes on a table, in the collection of junk was the old Stark Expo diorama her father had made back in the seventies.

“Why do you need that?” Romanoff asked, standing up.

“I think my father encoded a message in it,” Toni said. “I was going to take it home for JARVIS to run some scans.”

“I’ll help you-”

“Actually, I would really appreciate it if you went to New York with Pepper,” Toni said. “I’d like for someone to keep an eye on her, and you’re a spy. Make sure she doesn’t know I’m worried about her.”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” Romanoff asked.

“What good would that do?” Toni asked. “Seriously, I might not trust you, but I appreciate that S.H.I.E.L.D. is trying to keep me alive. Why would I lie?”

Romanoff squinted at Toni, clearly thinking, “Alright,” They said after a long pause. “I suppose I am surprised you’ve kept your mouth shut.”

Toni scoffed in disbelief, “Boy, you’re good. I’ve never seen anything like you. Is there anything real about you? Do you even speak Latin?” As she spoke, she was trying to lift the diorama off its stand.

“ _ Fallaces sunt rerum species _ ,” Romanoff quoted as they stepped closer to her.

“Fake is appearance things?” Toni asked as she lifted the table off its stand. “I remember some words, not the grammar.”

 

“Appearances are deceptive,” Romanoff corrected. “Of course, it also meant you can drive yourself home, or I can have you collected.”

“I just came for this,” Toni said.

 

* * *

 

“JARVIS, could you kindly Vac-U-Form a digital wire-frame? I need a manipulatable projection,” Toni asked as her AI scanned the model.

“1974 Stark Expo model scan complete, ma’am,” JARVIS informed.

“How many buildings are there?” She asked.

“Am I to include the Belgium waffle stands?” JARVIS asked.

“That was rhetorical. Just show me,” Toni said. The hologram appeared. She lifted it and spun it around, looking at it from different angles. “What does that look like to you JARVIS? Not unlike an atom. In which case the nucleus would be here.” She pointed at the center of the expo. “Highlight the Unisphere. Lose the footpaths. Get rid of them.”

“What is it that you are trying to achieve ma’am?” JARVIS asked.

“I’m discovering  - correction - I’m rediscovering a new element, I believe. Lose the landscaping, the shrubbery, the trees.” She moved things off the model. “Parking lots, exits, entrances. Structure the protons and the neutrons using the pavilions as a framework.” She expanded the image. “Daddy’s been dead for almost 20 years, and he’s still taking me to school.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that Nathan's true identity is revealed as Agent Romanoff...  
>  ...I have an 8tracks playlist!
> 
> [Nat Romanoff's Numbers](https://8tracks.com/roseyposeypie/nat-romanoff-s-numbers?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button) from [RoseyPoseyPie](http://8tracks.com/roseyposeypie?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button) on [8tracks Radio](https://8tracks.com?utm_medium=referral&utm_content=mix-page&utm_campaign=embed_button).


	5. Phoenix

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to everyone who's been reading and providing feedback, I sincerely hope all of you enjoy the final chapter of Iron Maiden 2.

Toni had utterly remodeled her workshop. She was knocking down walls and adding pipes to build space for what would be required to synthesize the element. She worked well into the night, muscles straining as she moved heavy metal and blocks around, creating level stands for the coil.

Agent Coulson came downstairs, “I heard you broke the perimeter,” He said.

“Yeah. That was, like, three years ago. Where have you been?”

“I was doing some stuff,” Coulson said.

“Well, glad you’re back, I need some extra hands to make this work,” Toni said. It was clear that the coil wasn’t perfectly level all around. She was scanning the room for something to help level it. Coulson was also snooping around her workspace. He picked something up.

“What’s this doing here?” Coulson asked. It was one of Toni’s father’s prototypes she tried to improve but gave up on due to a lack of materials.

“That’s it. Bring that to me,” Toni said, waving him over. He came over.

“You know what this is?” Coulson asked.

Toni took it from him, “It’s exactly what I need to make this work. Lift the coil. Go, go. Put your knees into it. There you go-” with the coil lifted, Toni put the disc beneath it. “-And drop it, drop it,” she said. She checked it. “Perfectly level.” She looked up at Coulson, who was standing there expectantly, “I’m busy. What do you want?”

“Nothing. Goodbye. I’ve been reassigned. Director Fury wants me in New Mexico.”

“Fantastic, Land of Enchantment,” Toni said.

“So I’m told,” Coulson agreed.

“Secret stuff?” Toni asked.

“Something like that,” Coulson nodded. “Good luck.”

“Bye, Thank you,” Toni said. She shook Agent Coulson’s hand.

“We need you,” Agent Coulson told her.

“Yeah, more than you know,” Toni agreed.

Coulson smiled, “Not that much.”

With her distraction gone, it was time for Toni to synthesize the element. She finished her calibrations, she double-checked her equations, and she submitted the data to JARVIS for his predictions and specs for adding it to the reactor core.

“Ready, J?” Toni asked. She readied herself by the wheel module for the coil.

“Initializing prismatic accelerator,” JARVIS said. Toni began to spin the wheel, her arms were bulging as she strained them. “Approaching maximum power,” JARVIS advised. The beam sliced through the walls as Toni turned the lever, but eventually concentrated on the triangular sample for the reactor to develop on. It began to glow blue, and then the accelerator shut down. The triangle was still burning blue.

“That was easy,” Toni said. She stepped forward and took the new element out of the coil with a pair of pliers.

“Congratulations, ma’am. You have created a new element.” JARVIS said. Toni put the element in the core of her arc reactor. “Ma’am, the reactor has accepted the modified core. I will begin running diagnostics.”

 

* * *

 

“Incoming call with a blocked number, ma’am,” JARVIS told Toni as she was cleaning up the mess of her workshop. The arc reactor was doing well in the initial tests, and with the treatment series that S.H.I.E.L.D. gave her, the adverse effects of the Palladium would be gone by the end of the week.

Toni snapped to attention, “My phone privilege is reinstated. Lovely. Start a trace.” She answered the call. “Toni Stark speaking.”

“Hey, Toni, how you doing? I double cycle,” A thick Russian accent said. Ivan Vanko was presumed dead after a riot, but Toni hadn’t believed it for a moment. With his connections, she was sure he had broken out.

“To improve the efficacy of your reactor? I suppose you can teach an old dog new tricks,” Toni said. “You sound pretty sprightly for a dead guy.”

“You too,” Vanko said. “Now, the true history of Stark name will be written. What your father did to my family over forty years, I will do to you in forty minutes.”

 

“My father’s fucked a lot of people, literally and figuratively, but all the evidence shows that yours legitimately committed espionage and treason,” Toni said. “So, by all means, come here to California, and we can hash it out. My place. I’ll bring snacks.”

“I hope you’re ready,” Vanko said. He ended the call.

“Any luck?” Toni asked JARVIS.

“I was unable to complete the trace, but it seems that he is in New York, ma’am,” JARVIS said.

“Expo,” Toni sighed. “JARVIS,: You want to run some tests, run them. And assemble the suit while you’re at it. Put it together now.”

“We are unclear as to all the effects-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Toni said. She activated the arc reactor. “That tastes like coconut. And metal. Oh wow, yeah!”

 

* * *

 

 

JARVIS was informing Toni about what was happening in the Expo. Hammer’s presentation was very much a weapon presentation, showing off his drones based on Iron Maiden’s technology as well as Rhodey in Toni’s Mark Two suit. Toni set up a com link between her and Rhodey.

“Hi, Rhodey, We got trouble,” Toni said as she flew overhead.

“Toni, there are civilians present. I’m here on orders. Let’s not do this right now,” Rhodey said.

“Stop making assumptions and listen to me. All these people are in danger. We gotta get them out of here. You gotta trust me for the next five minutes. Vanko called me, he’s going to make an attack on the expo, and I think that he’s working with Hammer.”

“Vanko’s alive?” Rhodey asked.

“I’m gonna make a scene,” Toni said. She dropped through the opening in the stadium for her free fall and landed on stage. Her faceplate popped up as she approached Hammer. “Hammer, what did I say about weapons!”

“Hi, Toni!” Hammer said, trying to smile. “I’m just showing the people-”

“Where’s Vanko?” Toni asked. Hammer paled.

“Who?” He asked.

Toni stepped closer, Hammer backed away, “Don’t make me ask you again, bitch,” She whispered.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Rhodey said. Toni turned to see that the gun on his shoulder was aiming at her.

“Is this you?” She asked him.

“No, I’m not doing that. That’s not me. I can’t move. I’m locked up. I’m locked up!” Rhodey exclaimed. All of the drones in the Hammer Industries presentation aimed at Toni. “Get out of here. Go! This whole system’s been compromised!”

Toni closed her faceplate, “Let’s take it outside.” She blasted up, out of the stadium. Rhodey in the Mark Two and the legion of drones crashed through the ceiling behind her. “JARVIS  - break in, try to get Rhodey’s control back,” Toni ordered.

“Toni, I’m locked on, I have a target lock!” Rhodey exclaimed.

“On what?”

“On you!” Rhodey exclaimed as the Mark Two opened fire. “Toni, on your six!” Rhodey warned. Toni spun out of range and arced up into the air, evading Rhodey’s bot. The drones were attacking anything with Iron Maiden paraphernalia, which consisted of a lot of the expo. Toni learned that a shot to the head usually incapacitated them, but they were decent at evading her blasts if they saw them coming. One drone was targeting a small child wearing a plastic Iron Maiden mask with a flashlight repulsor. Toni landed between the drone and the kid and blasted the drone’s head off with a repulsor blast. The robot crumpled.

“Nice work, kid,” Toni said. She rocketed off as a concerned woman ran toward the child. 

“Penny! Be careful!” Toni heard her exclaim.

“You got multiples coming in on you,” Rhodey warned.

“Let’s get this away from the expo,” Toni suggested, rocketing into the air. She headed toward a parking structure, hoping that she could outmaneuver them in a small space and pick them off. She set off a few car alarms, but the drones set off the rest. She managed to get one or two to smash themselves into a barrister.

“Listen, listen. A pack just peeled off. They’re headed back to the Expo,” Rhodey warned over the coms.

“Got it,” Toni said, flying upward.

“I’m closing in on you. Ordnance coming in hot Toni. Watch it!” Rhodey warned.

She circled back to the expo, heading toward the water feature, “Rhodey, you still locked on?” She asked.

“Yeah,” He confirmed.

“Drop your socks and grab your Crocs. We’re about to get wet on this ride!” She warned, going through the globe structure. Most of her tail smashed into the gold-titanium sculpture and crushed themselves. “Sorry about that, buddy,” she said as Rhodey screamed. His suit made it through. “I had to thin out the herd.”

“Toni-” Rhodey said. Toni crashed into the biodome, and Rhodey followed her into the small garden area full of intellicrops as part of the expo agriculture presentation. Rhodey’s suit walked toward her, standing above her. She had to physically push his shoulder mount to the side to keep him from shooting her. Suddenly, Rhodey stopped and fell onto his back. The suit powered down.

A third person entered the comms, “Reboot complete,” They said. “You got your best friend back, Stark.”

“Thank you very much, Agent Romanoff,” Toni said. “How’s Pepper?”

“She was with NYPD and security when I left her to find Vanko at Hammer Industries,” Romanoff reported. “She kicked Hammer in the balls, so he spilled on Vanko.”

“That’s Pepper,” Toni agreed.

“Well done on the new chest piece. I am reading significant higher output, and your vitals all look promising,” Romanoff said.

“Yes, for the moment, I’m not dying. Thank you.” Toni agreed.

A fourth person entered the comms. “What do you mean you’re not dying? Did you just say you’re dying?!” Pepper was shouting with concern.

“Is that you, Pep? No, I’m not. Not anymore.” Toni said.

“What’s going on?” Pepper asked.

“I was going to tell you. I didn’t want to alarm you,” Toni said.

“You were gonna tell me? You really were dying?” Pepper asked.

“I was going to tell you after I died,” Toni admitted.

“ _ Seriously _ ?” Pepper asked.

“I didn’t think anything could be done, and I didn’t want you to be upset-”

“You are unbelievable, you know that?” Pepper was fuming.

“I will do whatever I can to make it up to you,” Toni promised.

“Save it for the honeymoon,” Romanoff said. “You got incoming Toni. Looks like the fight’s coming to you.”

“Great, Pepper?”

“Are you okay now?” Pepper asked.

“Right as rain,” Toni said. “Be safe. We can talk after I’m done fending off this Hammeroid attack.” Toni turned to Rhodey, whose system was still restarting. “Rhodes? Snap out of it buddy. I need you. They’re coming. Come on, let’s roll. Get up.”

Rhodey’s helmet popped open, “Oh, man. You can have your suit back.”

“You okay?” Toni asked, helping Rhodey stand up.

“Yeah, thanks. Toni, look, I’m sorry, okay?” Rhodey apologized.

“Whatever,” Toni said.

“No. I should have trusted you more, and I should have tried harder to support you,” Rhodey said. “So, I’m sorry.”

“Cut the lovey-dovey,” Toni scoffed. “They’re coming in hot, any second. What’s the play?”

“Well, we want to take the high ground, okay? So let’s put the biggest gun up on that ridge,” Rhodey pointed up. Rhodey and Toni both started heading to the ridge. “I meant me,” Rhodey said.

“You have a big gun. You are not the big gun,” Toni said, putting her hands on her hips.

“Toni, don’t be jealous,” Rhodey said. Toni scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“No, It’s subtle all the bells and whistles,” She replied.

“It’s called being a badass,” Rhodey said.

“Alright, you go up there, I’ll draw them in down here,” Toni said.

“Don’t stay down here. This is the worst place to be.” Rhodey shook his head.

“Okay, you got a spot, where’s mine?” Toni asked.

“It’s the kill box, Toni. Okay? This is where you go to die,” Rhodey explained.

 

“Great, where do I go?” Toni asked. The drones overhead crashed through the biosphere. It was too late for them to exit the kill box. Dramatically, about a dozen drones landed, one by one, in a circle around the duo. Toni and Rhodey shared a look, and then their helmets snapped down over their faces and the fight began. Their submachine fire was too weak to pierce the armor, and their missiles were miscalibrated. Toni was never more thankful for how terrible Hammer Industries’ weapons were. Rhodey sprayed the robots with three machine guns. One on each arm and his shoulder mount. The spray knocked them back and pierced their exposed mechanisms. Toni meanwhile ducked under his spray and blasted targeted repulsor beams at the drones’ heads, taking them down one by one. One got too close to her for her liking, and Rhodey was spraying several behind her, so she blasted her foot propulsors and kneed the drone in the head, then she cut power to her feet and brought her elbow down on the same head, breaking it and rendering the drone useless. JARVIS warned her another had breached the perimeter of her and Rhodey’s arm spans. She spun backward with a hook and took out another drone’s head. She propulsed into a second one, thighs wrapping around it’s head, and she flipped it over like she saw Romanoff do a few days ago to Happy. The drone landed on its head behind her, processing system crushed by its own weight. She landed on one knee. She lifted both arms and blasted the heads of two drones, one on either side of her. As she stood up, her system warned her of in incoming projectile. She dodged it with a casual lean to one side. Then, she activated her own homing missiles on three drones. They each targeted the power source, pierced through the weak outer armor, and exploded. 

“See that?” She asked Rhodey.

“Yeah, yeah, nice,” Rhodey replied. The smoke of the burning intellicrops, charing metal, and all the explosions was obscuring their view. Drones would get closer now before they could identify them, and while the amount of ammunition being launched at them decreased, it was nearly impossible to determine where it was coming from. Toni continued to rip out power sources and smash heads, while Rhodey’s armor-piercing rounds ripped up the heads, chests, and limbs of the drones. However, there was still a half dozen from a delayed wave, and they were getting too close for Toni’s liking.

“Rhodey?” Toni called for his attention, “Get down.”

He ducked, and she activated inferior laster beams on each arm. They really drained the energy quickly and didn’t last very long, so she didn’t like to use them unless she was sure she had a few seconds to recharge, but it didn’t seem like she had a choice. The red beams sliced the remaining drones clean in half as she twirled around in a circle. Once they died down, it seemed like there were no more reinforcements.

“Wow. I think you should lead with that next time,” Rhodey said as Toni stood motionless, awkwardly recharging.

 

“Yeah. Sorry boss. I can only use it once. It’s a one-off.”

Toni stood still so the suit could recharge in full. As she waited, the comm line opened again, it was Romanoff. “Ivan isn’t here, he left before we showed up, with a harness on and whips. New ones, compact, based on these specs, they’re chargeable, no attached power supply.”

“Probably his way of learning from his mistakes, and he might’ve spent too many resources making his crappy reactors,” Toni spitballed.

“He’s in the wind with tiny whips?” Rhodey asked.

“He’s too stupid to give up revenge,” Toni said. A sick feeling filled her gut, “Pepper? Hey, Pep, are you okay?”

There was silence on her side. Then, the comms crackled, “Never better,” Ivan Vanko said.

“He’s got her,” Toni whispered. She blasted her repulsors and headed to her location.

“What?” Rhodey asked.

Toni didn’t answer him. Instead, she focused on where Pepper’s phone was located and flew there. Sure enough, in the rubble of the stadium, Vanko had her. A metal cord was wrapped around her neck, and the handle he was holding was a glowing blue.

Toni landed in front of him. “Ready missiles,” She told JARVIS.

“Not good idea, Toni,” Ivan said when the missile stands popped out of her shoulders. “I can press button quicker than you can shoot.”

“You sure about that?” Toni asked, trying to see if he was bluffing.

He just smiled grimly, “Would you like to find out?” Toni didn’t want to, mainly because even her smallest missiles could harm Pepper at this range. She called off the missile system.

“Smart girl,” Ivan smiled. “Now, come out of suit.”

“It’s not that easy,” she said. “I need a gantry to take this thing off.”

“I saw case in Monaco, would be useless without gantry, eh? Why have it, then? You program it to put itself on but not take off?” Ivan questioned, cocking an eyebrow and smirking. 

Toni sighed in her suit, “JARVIS, open me up.”

The helmet, torso, arms, and legs all pried themselves apart, allowing Toni to push herself out of the suit.

“Good girl,” Ivan called.

“Why don’t you let her go?” Toni suggested. “She didn’t do anything, I’m the one you don’t like.”

“Indeed,” Vanko nodded. He moved his other arm and the second whip encircled Toni’s neck. “I want you to know what it is like to watch people you love die,” Vanko said. He pushed Pepper away, but the cord was still around her throat. Toni glanced at her and then at Vanko, who was pulling Toni to him. “I want you to know the pain that was suffered by my father,” Vanko said. “The pain that was suffered by me. Then, Stark and Vanko will finally be same.” Toni glanced between Vanko and Pepper, who had a very determined look on her face. With Vanko focused on Toni, Pepper had plunged her hand into her bag, and was now slowly pulling out a black canister.

“You and I will never be the same,” Toni said, trying to buy Pepper some more time.

“Really?” Vanko chuckled. “What makes us so different, Toni?” Toni glanced at Pepper, who nodded slightly. 

“Well, I have people,” Toni said. Pepper lifted her arm up and sprayed Vanko directly in the face, the orange chemical covered his eyes, nose, and mouth. He gagged and gasped, dropping both whips to clutch his face. Toni took a step back while pulling the cord off her and went to take Pepper to safety, but Pepper had a livid gleam in her eye. She swung her handbag around and used it to knock Vanko to the ground. What the hell did she keep in there? She continued to lift her bag and hit Vanko on the chest and face. Not satisfied it was causing enough damage, she flung it at him, and she raised her leg behind her, pulled off her stiletto, and swiped at him with it, bending down, so it scratched his face.

“I AM SICK OF BEING ATTACKED!” Pepper exclaimed.

“Pepper,” Toni grabbed Pepper by the arm, more worried what she would do to Vanko than what he would do to her. “It’s alright, Pepper.”

“SICK OF IT!” She yelled, trying to lunge again at Vanko.

“It’s alright,” Toni continued, delicately unwinding the cord from her neck. “You saved the day.” Pepper still had a grimace on her face.

Then, Toni heard a faint beeping. She looked at a nearby drone, whose reactor was flickering red. Then at Vanko, who had a box with a little red button in his hand. She didn’t have to think twice about what she had to do. She flung herself back into her suit, which closed around her. Then she rushed forward, grabbed Pepper around the waist, and launched into the air as the expo exploded beneath her.

“You okay, Rhodey?” She asked as she flew to a nearby building.

“Yeah, I got out of there. You have Pepper?”

“I do.”

“And Vanko?”

“Blew himself up,” Toni said.

She landed with Pepper on a building. Pepper pushed herself away from Toni, still holding one shoe as a weapon. “Oh, my god,” She said, dropping her shoe and pushing her hands over her face. “Oh, I can’t take this anymore.”

“You can’t?” Toni asked, surprised. She opened the suit up again and stepped out. “You were taking it very well when you were beating up Ivan back there-”

“My body, literally, cannot handle the stress,” Pepper said. “I never know if you’re going to kill yourself o-or wreck the whole company-”

“I think I did okay!” Toni exclaimed. Behind her, something exploded in the expo. She winced.

“I quit,” Pepper said, “I’m resigning. That’s it.”

“What did you just say? You’re done? That’s surprising. No, it’s not surprising. I get it. You don’t have to make excuses.” Toni shook her head.

Pepper’s brow furrowed. “I - I’m - I’m not making any excuses!” She exclaimed.

“You actually were just making excuses. But you don’t have to-” Toni stepped toward Pepper

“-No, I wasn’t making an excuse. I’m actually very justified-” Pepper stepped toward Toni.

“-Listen. Hey, hey. You deserve better,” Toni said sincerely. Pepper stopped. They were practically standing chest to chest now.

“Well,” Pepper said, looking down.

“You’ve taken such good care of me. I’ve been in a tough spot, but you got me through it,” Toni said. “Right?”

“Thank you,” Pepper said. “Thank you for understanding.”

“Yeah,” Toni nodded. “Yeah, so let’s talk clean-up.”

“I’ll handle the transition. It’ll be smooth,” Pepper assured her, stepping out of her other heel, very close to Toni now.

“Okay, what about the press?” Toni asked. “Because you only had the job for a week. That’s gonna seem-”

Pepper scoffed, “Well, with you it’s like dog years.”

“I know,” Toni agreed.

“I mean, it’s like the Presidency-”

“That’s a good idea for what’s next, Presidency, it’d be less stressful for you. God knows America is more manageable than I am,” Toni joked.

Pepper looked down at Toni and sucked her bottom lip inward slightly, “Shut up,” She said, and then she grabbed Toni’s face, one hand cupped hard around either cheek. And then she pulled Toni’s chin up, and she leaned down. She was kissing Toni. Toni was kissing Pepper.

Toni didn’t know when her eyes snapped shut, or when her hands hand found Pepper’s waist, but they were really kissing. Heads bobbing back and forth, pins and needles running from Toni’s lips to her toes. Suddenly, like a jolt of electricity, Toni panicked and pulled away.

“Sorry!” She said abruptly.

“I told you to shut up,” Pepper whispered, and they started kissing again. The jolts that were running through Toni were definitely not panic this time.

“You guys look like two seals fighting over a grape!” Rhodey called from the other end of the roof. Toni and Pepper broke apart and turned around to look at him. His face mask was up and he was smiling.

“I had just quit, actually,” Pepper said.

“Yeah, we’re not-” Toni said.

“You don’t have to do that. I heard the whole thing,” Rhodey said. “And saw it too, which was awful.”

“You should get lost,” Toni told Rhodey.

“I was here first. Get a roof.”

“I thought you were out of one-liners.”

“That’s the last one,” Rhodey promised.

“You kicked ass back there, by the way,” Toni smiled.

“Thanks, buddy. You too,” Rhodey agreed. “Listen, my car got taken out in the explosion, so I’m gonna have to hang on to your suit for a minute, okay?”

“Mmm, not okay, not okay with that,” Toni shook her head.

“Wasn’t a question,” Rhodey said. The faceplate snapped shut and he launched into the air. Toni and Pepper laughed as he disappeared in the sky. Toni looked up at Pepper, who had slung one of her arms around Toni’s shoulders.

“What?” Pepper asked, noticing that Toni was staring at her.

“How are you gonna resign if I don’t accept?” Toni asked Pepper. Pepper rose her eyebrows.

“Well, I suppose I won’t be able to,” Pepper sighed with false annoyance.

“Well, maybe I can make it up to you?” Toni suggested.

Pepper smiled. “How are you going to do that, Miss Stark?” She inquired.

“In whatever way you desire, Miss Potts,” Toni answered.

 

* * *

 

 

In a warehouse, Toni was sitting at a table with the Avenger’s Initiative Preliminary Report. She had been sitting there for quite a while, with nobody coming to see her. Did they want her to read the report? She leaned forward and tried to open it. A dark hand materialized to stop her. Fury was standing above her.

“I don’t think I want you looking at that. I’m not sure it pertains to you anymore. Now this on the other hand, is Agent Romanoff’s assessment of you. Read it.” Fury handed it to Toni she skimmed it.

“‘Personality overview. Mr Stark displays compulsive behaviour’ -  In my own defense, that was last week - ‘Prone to self-destructive tendencies’ - I was dying. I mean, please. Aren’t we all? - ‘Textbook narcissism?’ - Agreed. Okay, here it is. - ‘Recruitment assessment for Avenger Initiative. Iron Maiden? Yes.’ -  I gotta think about it.”

“Read on,” Fury said.

“‘Toni Stark is… not recommended?’”  Toni squinted. “That doesn’t make any sense. How can you approve me but not approve me? I got a new ticker. I’m trying to do right by Pepper. I’m in a stable-ish relationship.” As she spoke, Fury walked around and sat on Toni’s side of the table.

“Which leads us to believe,” Fury said, “At this juncture, we’d only like to use you as a consultant.”

Toni stood up and they shook hands. Toni clasped her other hand atop Fury’s, “You can’t afford me.” She started walking out. She turned back. “Can you tell me something? Do I remind you of my father?”

Fury laughed, “I’m sure you hear that a lot.”

“Well, you knew him best, it seems.”

“Howard was haunted by his past,” Fury said. “And that caused him to be too focused on the future. I think you, more than him, know how to appreciate the present.”

“So, is that a yes or a no?”

“Of course you remind me of Howard,” Fury said. “You’re both a pain in my ass.”

Toni grinned, “That’s what I like to hear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, we end.
> 
> Thank you again to everyone who has given kudos, comments, subscriptions, and hits to this story. I am so thankful to each and every one of you for your continued support.
> 
> I have been mulling over an idea, and I would love to hear your opinions. I was thinking of making a collection of short snippets spanning the time from early April of 2010 to late April of 2012. It would start publishing after I finish the adaptation of Thor, and would basically set up the Avengers and allow me to develop some of the changes I've made to this universe in more detail. If that sounds like something you guys would love, please let me know.  
> **UPDATE - I've decided to post my post-IM2 snippets as one massive epilogue to this fic**
> 
> Please, if you haven't already, subscribe or bookmark my series to stay updated. And I also have a Tumblr: aycdicdbmcu.tumblr.com. I reblog fanart, make marvel jokes, promote my fics, and I would love to talk to you guys over there. I think, actually, I've already seen a few of you.
> 
> Thank you again! I really love your support, and this has been so wonderful. :)


	6. Coda: Legacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of moments spanning between the end of Iron Maiden 2 and the beginning of The Avengers from Toni Stark's perspective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Why am I updating? A completed fic?
> 
> In the notes of the previous chapter, I asked if anybody wanted me to write a few moments between the end of Iron Maiden 2 and the beginning of the Avengers because I did have some ideas. I ended up writing them, but nobody seemed enthusiastic about a small collection fic in between, so I decided to pile together all the little scenes that I had in my head for Toni and Pepper and put them in a semi-coherent massive coda to Iron Maiden.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this unexpected bonus!

 

Toni was panicking. A month ago she was apprehensive, which had shifted to anxiety as the day got closer. That week she was full-blown worried, and now, now she was panicking. Toni had never planned so hard for anything in her life, and she owned a multi-billion company, for Christ’s sake. What was so important about this day? Why had she been planning, perhaps overplanning, and panicking? It was her first official date with Pepper.

 

After the debacle that was Stark Expo in early April, Toni and Pepper agreed that their primary focus ought to be the aftermath of Vanko and Hammer. Their blossoming relationship was put on the back burner. That wasn’t to say they didn’t do _anything_. In fact, they were doing quite a lot.  But it was always between and on their work, both literally and figuratively. The closest they had gotten to going on a date was eating Chinese takeout together while preparing notes for a press conference. And they had kissed quite a lot in the last month, they spent time together, Pepper stayed with Toni for a handful of nights, and they had absolutely had sex. But, they hadn’t actually gone on a date. Toni tried to ask Pepper out not too long after their first kiss, but Pepper told Toni that she wanted to wait until everything had settled. One month, they agreed. May first would be a perfect day to have a first date. The beginning of a new month, late spring, it opened up so many avenues. And that overwhelmed Toni because she didn’t know what to do.

 

Pepper could have easily planned the date. But Toni felt like it was her responsibility. Pepper planned everything, she took care of everything, she managed everything. Toni didn’t want her to feel like she also had to do that in their relationship. Toni could be responsible when it came to making Pepper happy, she had to be. Toni had many different plans. She didn’t want to do something too fancy, because she didn’t want to look like she was trying to bribe or impress Pepper with her wealth. She didn’t want to do something too lazy or casual in case it made Pepper feel like she wasn’t going to be cherished by Toni. She didn’t want it to seem like it was overplanned because she knew there was an appeal of spontaneity, but she didn’t want to improvise in case Pepper felt like Toni had forgotten to plan at all. There was a broad spectrum in between, and Toni didn’t know where to settle to optimize Pepper’s enjoyment and relaxation on their first date. Toni decided to take a page out of Pepper’s book, and she made a binder. It wasn’t digital, either. She painstakingly wrote out notes and ideas of places Pepper would like. She checked the menus to make sure there was food Pepper would like. She actually wholly planned forty-eight dates, each one with different schedules, locations, and entertainment sources because she didn’t know what Pepper would enjoy the most. JARVIS couldn’t help because JARVIS could only rationally recommend specific dates if Toni programmed in an algorithmic system of balancing the different qualities in a date she was looking for. Toni did that, of course, which was how she narrowed it down to forty-eight dates, as opposed to her initial hundred-something.

 

“You’re overthinking this,” Rhodey said. He had come to see Toni’s workshop because she was supposed to be working on the arc reactor technology between press conferences and news interviews. Instead, she was planning the date.

 

“Am I?” Toni asked as she flipped through her binder of ideas again as if suddenly, one of the pages would start tap dancing and she knew that was the perfect date.

 

“Is this your first date?” Rhodey asked. “Like, an actual romantic date that didn’t happen just so you can end up with a pretty girl in your bedroom?”

 

Toni wanted to snark at Rhodey that she wasn’t a child, but that’s when she realized that she was forty years old and she had only ever gone on dates to sleep with women, and she never was looking for a second one. In fact, she didn’t even want to call those things ‘dates.’ They were expensive foreplay. Romance, what was that? Toni didn’t know. She _thought_ she knew, but she didn’t know.

 

“Okay, I will help you, but only because that is pathetic,” Rhodey said, pointing to the date binder. “You’re supposed to be a genius.”

 

“You and I both know my ingenuity varies from moment to moment,” Toni told him.

 

The binder was scrapped, and Rhodey had a few essential questions to ask Toni. First of all, what was Pepper’s favorite thing to eat? Toni had too many answers for such a simple question “Well, her favorite type of restaurant is Thai, but her actual favorite food is her mother’s home-baked chicken pot pie unless you’re counting dessert, in which case it’s cheesecake-”

 

“Shut up,” Rhodey said. “What about entertainment?”

 

Toni knew nine different live shows, either theatrical or musical, that were happening in the Los Angeles area on May first. She had memorized every movie that would be in theaters. She also had a list of activities, twenty-six of them, which could entertain Pepper.

 

Rhodey made her stop. “You’re literally just saying what you put in the binder. Come on, first thing in your head. What does Pepper like to do?”

 

“Hiking?” Toni suggested. She remembered that Pepper said she went hiking with her mom back at home, in upstate New York.

 

“Okay,” Rhodey said. “So, take her hiking.”

 

“But there are so many different trails-”

 

“You’re impossible, Toni,” Rhodey said.

 

“Yeah,” Toni agreed.

 

It was a few days before the date, and Toni had fifteen reservations at expensive restaurants, thirty pairs of tickets to various events, and absolutely no idea what to do. She started just having JARVIS say algorithmically pseudo-randomized numbers so she would pick a date, but she couldn’t commit to this method of selection. Because what if they went on date number thirty-eight when it was date seventeen that Pepper would have loved the most?

 

It was May first, and Toni didn’t have a plan. Maybe Rhodey was onto something. Maybe Toni should just throw darts at a board and do what they landed on. Pepper texted her “I’m excited to see what you have planned tonight ;)” and Toni just about cried on the spot.

 

Pepper liked hiking, and chicken pot pie, and quiet, private moments. Toni had to work with that in a few hours.  The first thing she did was recruit Pepper’s assistant - or rather, bribe her - so she would call Pepper’s mom and ask for the pot pie recipe. Then, Toni called the Griffith Observatory and promised to give them a ridiculous donation if they let her have the planetarium for the night. She was Toni Stark, and she was the wealthiest woman on the planet, so they absolutely agreed.

 

“What should I wear?” Pepper texted Toni, an hour and a half before they were supposed to meet up. JARVIS read her text, as Toni was trying to make pie crust. It was her third attempt. She had learned from her mistakes.

 

“Tell her to wear something comfortable, that she doesn’t mind walking around in. Nothing too fancy,” Toni said.

 

“Text sent, ma’am,” JARVIS said. “May I recommend remembering to add flour this time?”

 

“Shut up,” Toni said, pulling the bag toward her and getting out a fresh baking cup.

 

It was thirty minutes before Pepper was supposed to arrive. Happy came to carry the significant package to Griffith Observatory. Once Toni no longer needed to bake, she sent Dummy to try to clean up her flour mess in the kitchen, and she took a shower. For her outfit, she settled on dark, straight-leg jeans, boots, a very opaque sports bra that covered her reactor, and a tank top with Freddie Mercury on it.

 

“Miss Potts is requesting permission to enter the premises,” JARVIS said at six o’clock precisely. Pepper’s timing was impeccable.

 

“Let her in,” Toni replied. She grabbed a pair of designer sunglasses and went out to meet Pepper. Before opening the door to greet Pepper, she folded the glasses and slung them

 

“Hi,” Pepper said. She had brought a company car, a simple mid-range grey sedan with Oregon plates, something that would hopefully dissuade the paparazzi. It was clear that she had dressed for everywhere. Maybe she didn’t trust Toni when she said she didn’t need to look fancy. She had on designer jeans, a crisp pale blue button-up blouse, and the kind of black sneakers that were expensive enough they could pass for a formal shoe. “You’re very casual,” Pepper observed.

 

“Yep,” Toni agreed. “We’ve been to enough galas.”

 

Pepper nodded in assent. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going, or are you going to drive and I guess?”

 

“If I tell you, that ruins the surprise,” Toni said.

 

“Fair enough,” Pepper smiled.

 

Toni decided to take the scenic route from Malibu to Santa Monica across the pacific highway. As they drove at the speed limit, they talked. Toni asked Pepper about her day, and they spoke about business for a while. Pepper asked what Toni was working on, and Toni pretended she had been working on something other than this goddamn date for the last month or so. At Santa Monica, they started to head towards downtown L.A. Pepper was beginning to look around suspiciously.

 

“You do know where we’re going?” She asked a few times.

 

“Yep,” Toni said. She had been rehearsing the route in her head all afternoon.

 

Pepper was starting to get fidgety with not knowing what was going on. She began to suggest places for Toni to drive. “I heard about this great place in Beverly Hills - there’s a Dodger’s game today, I heard - there’s this one place I love in Koreatown - What if we posed you at Madame Tussauds and see how long it took for someone to realize it was you and not a wax figure-” Toni got off the freeway in a residential area in Los Feliz, turning onto Fern Dell Drive.

 

“We’re at a Nature Museum?” Pepper asked as Toni parked. There were families around them, and a playground not too far away. “You want to look at plants?”

 

“We’re going hiking,” Toni said, putting on her sunglasses before she got out of the car. No one was expecting Toni Stark to go hiking in Los Feliz, but she wanted to wear them to be safe.

 

“Oh,” Pepper said. She was relieved. They both got out of the car.

 

Toni felt like she had to defend herself, and it became a thing, “This place has great views of the sunset-”

 

“-I’m sure the views are beautiful-”

 

“-I’m getting the feeling you didn’t trust me-”

 

“-Of course, I had faith in you-”

 

“-If I can do anything to reassure you-”

 

“-Maybe I was a little concerned, this isn’t your M.O.-”

 

“-I know, but if I can reassure you that I know what I’m doing-”

 

Pepper put one finger on Toni’s lips, “Shut up.” Then she bent down and placed a gentle peck on the tip of Toni’s nose. She laughed as Toni scrunched up her face.

 

The trail was straightforward, but they managed to reach the side of the cliff just in time to watch the sun hang low over the Pacific, the sky was gorgeous. The sun was gold, streaming around it were streaks of oranges, pinks, peaches, salmons, and the occasional strip of lilac. 

 

“Wow,” Pepper said, admiring the view. Toni took a picture of her standing in front of the beautiful sunset. They could see all of Los Angeles from this trail. But the trail was also quiet, and the only people who seemed to be on it passed them by quickly and didn’t look twice. They sat down in the dirt, Pepper must not have cared too much about those two hundred-dollar jeans and watched the city transition from dusk to night. Downtown Los Angeles lit up and sparkled. Pepper looked up at the sky, “I wish it were easier to see the stars out here.”

 

“I think I can fix that,” Toni said, standing up and brushing the dirt from her hands. “Come on.” She and Pepper continued the rest of the trail hand in hand, as they made their way up forward to the top of the trail, at the Griffith Observatory. It was busy, as a lot of people came up there for the views and the exhibits. Toni and Pepper slipped through the crowd, changing the way they walked and moved, so they didn’t stand out as much. They made their way through the building to the planetarium, where a large sign said: _CLOSED FOR PRIVATE EVENT_.

 

“Is that us?” Pepper asked, looking at the sign.

 

“That’s us,” Toni agreed.

 

Per her specifications, the Planetarium was on, with the night sky being projected above them. There were several platforms with cinema-style seating, but in the walkway, there was a traditional red-and-white checkered picnic blanket and a collection of LED tealights.

 

“You’ve spared no expense, I see,” Pepper joked at the simple set-up.

 

They sat down, and Toni began to unpack the picnic basket. There was a bottle of wine for Pepper, orange soda for Toni, and of course, the pie.

 

“Is that-” She looked at it. “You called my mom?”

 

“Sort of - I had someone else call your mom - your mom scares me.”

 

“You’ve never met my mom.”

 

“She raised you, she’s scary,” Toni said. “But it is her recipe. I made it myself.”

 

“Is that what you were doing all day?”

 

“I think it’s a good attempt!” The sauce might have bubbled and burned out of the lattice, and the crust could have been more buttery, but considering Toni barely knew how to cook anything, that was a proud accomplishment. When they ate it, Toni did admit there were some crunches she couldn’t explain.

 

“I appreciate this,” Pepper said after managing to eat half a slice of Toni’s pie. “It’s just wasn’t what I was expecting.”

 

“What were you expecting?”

 

“You taking me somewhere where dinner costs as much as a car, riding around in some sports car. You know, the way you’ve gone on dates in the past.”

 

“Those weren’t dates. It was expensive foreplay,” Toni announced. “You know, that was all to impress them, and I didn’t have any plans after that morning.”

 

“I know, I saw them out,” Pepper said.

 

“Yeah, well, the point is - I don’t want to do that with you.”

 

“You don’t want to have sex?” Pepper asked.

 

“No - that’s not what I -” Toni realized that Pepper was smiling. “-I’m trying to be sincere here, and you’re making jokes-”

 

“-And you’ve never cracked a joke at an inappropriate time-”

 

“-The whole point is that I’m trying to-”

 

“-I don’t need these big declarations-”

 

“-It’s tough for me to-”

 

“-You’ve done this a million times, you can’t act like-”

 

“-A million is a bit of an exaggeration-”

 

“-like this is all new to you-”

 

“-It is new to me,” Toni said.

 

Pepper looked at her with disbelief. “Dating is new to you?”

 

“Trying is new. You know - wanting - a future or something,” Toni said. “This whole, like trying to have someone in my life in a romantic manner. It’s new. That’s all I have to say, I’m done now. Let’s look at some stars-”

 

“Toni,” Pepper said, gently. “You’re trying too hard.”

 

“Actually I dialed it back a bit. You should have seen me a few days ago. I had this binder-”

 

“A binder?” Pepper asked.

 

“I might have gone a little overboard.”

 

“You always go overboard,” Pepper said. “It’s endearing… most of the time.”

 

“Most of the time? What does that mean?”

 

“Well, it means, you have a tendency to - it’s fine.” Pepper shook her head. “I did really like this. How long do we have here?”

 

“Until closing at Ten,” Toni said. “I can text Happy if you don’t want to hike down in the dark-”

 

“You can just take your shirt off and light our way,” Pepper joked.

 

“And then get arrested for public indecency?” Toni asked. “How am I being the responsible one right now?”

 

“Because I’m letting you,” Pepper said. Toni accepted that. Pepper moved across the blanket until she was side to side with Toni. She leaned backward, setting her head on Toni’s shoulder and looking up at the digitally projected sky, smiling up at the Milky Way. The did not need to take Toni’s shirt off to head back down the hill, because the light from Los Angeles was bright enough that the path maneuverable. They got back to the park at the bottom of the trail. The parking lot and playground were empty. The museum was locked up for the night. Pepper was humming to herself as they walked back to the car. “Your place or mine?” Pepper asked Toni.

 

“We can go to mine if you promise not to look at the kitchen,” Toni said.

 

“Promise,” Pepper said.

 

They certainly enjoyed themselves when they got back to Malibu around midnight. Pepper quickly fell asleep, likely tired from their evening activities. Toni did her best to drift to sleep after her. In the morning, when Toni woke up, the bed was empty. A note scribbled on a pad on the nightstand told her that Pepper left an hour ago to go to work. It was funny to Toni how this was the complete opposite of every morning after she ever had. Usually, she was the one who bailed before the other woman awoke. Of course, another thing that Toni and Pepper had that none of her other trysts did, was the second date. _Next Saturday, 8 o’clock, wear something expensive_ , Pepper’s scrawl read. Toni smiled.

 

That afternoon, Toni started a smaller binder full of engagement rings.

 

* * *

 

Toni was programming a new operating system when she got a call from Pepper. “We have a situation at one of our production factories,” Pepper said.

 

“Where do you need me?” Toni asked.

 

“Here, in professional clothes,” Pepper said. “I can have Happy pick you up-”

 

“No need,” Toni said. “I’ll be there in thirty.”

 

Toni changed out of her workshop gear and into a crisp, navy pantsuit. She took a car over to Stark Industries’ headquarters. Pepper was waiting for Toni in her often-empty CEO’s office. After Nat left to return to spy things, Toni decided not to hire a new assistant. Pepper was looking up at a flat screen on one wall, where WHiH news was covering what was going on.

 

“I am here today outside Stark Industries’ factory in the outer boroughs of Detroit,” The newswoman said. “Where we are observing a massive strike here. An estimated ninety percent of the five-thousand people who work here are outside the factory right now, striking against Stark Industries. I am here now with an organizer for this event, Elizabeth Sanders. Ms. Sanders, could you explain what motivated you and your coworkers to march here?"

 

Elizabeth Sanders was a young, black woman with streaks of white bleached in her dark hair.

 

“Six months ago,” Sanders said. “A thousand people were laid off. Eight months before that, a few hundred went. We have no stability in this job. We wear these-” She held up her wrist, where a bulky bracelet was “-because our supervisors track us when we’re on the clock. We get citations if we’re slower than average or if we leave the floor for a break longer than five minutes. There’s no bathroom in our building, we have to go to the building next door, and that always takes more than five minutes. To use the bathroom, we have adapted by putting a bucket in a utility closet.” Sanders paused, but it seemed she was far from ending. “We do get paid fifteen dollars an hour. However, we lack bonuses, our wages are not adjusted for inflation, we lack health insurance, we lack childcare, we’re limited to four sick days a year. Last month, the man I work with on the same station had a heart attack. He worked another night shift just so he can afford his son’s medicine, and I’m sure the stress had something to do with it. He had to have surgery, he was out for a few weeks. He came back, and he got fired.

 

“What is the point of this strike?” The newswoman asked

 

“We want stability,” Sanders said. “We don’t want to be monitored like criminals. We want places to use the bathroom safely. We want bonuses, health insurance, childcare, and more sick days. We want to be treated like humans.

 

Sanders’ manifesto seemed to spread like a shockwave through the United States. People were abandoning factories, and not just Toni’s. She’d gotten angry calls from Musk and Bezos, saying if she didn't get a handle on her union problem, they were going to make it a bigger problem. Toni didn’t understand. She was under the impression employees got health insurance, bonuses, and places to piss. She thought there was a union they could make demands through. This blindsided her.

 

She invited all of the regional managers and directors to the main Stark Industries headquarters. It had been four days since the first strike, and the news was saying that maybe twenty percent of her employees were still working. The office buildings and R&D labs were completely full at Stark Industries so Toni couldn’t imagine so many people not working, but the aerial images of the factories across the Midwest and around the great lakes were painting a very different picture

 

The meeting was very interesting. The regional managers were as confused as she was. They hadn’t heard anything from the unions, they didn’t see these strikes coming at all. Toni sent them back feeling frustrated and confused.

 

“I need to talk to someone else,” Toni said as she and Pepper ate Chinese together in Toni’s living room, watching the CEO of Walmart explain that they were replacing their employees.

 

“Who?” Pepper asked.

 

“JARVIS,” Toni said. “Can you find the contact information for Elizabeth Sanders?”

 

“You want to talk to her?” Pepper asked.

 

“I need a different perspective, she’s been vocal about hers,” Toni said.

 

“I have acquired Ms. Sanders’ email, phone number, and most-used social media handles,” JARVIS said.

 

“Thanks, do me a favor, J, invite her over to Industries HQ. Make sure she gets paid for by me.”

 

“Certainly, ma’am,” JARVIS replied.

 

“What if she refuses?” Pepper asked.

 

“Then I’ll go to Detroit. There has to be someone who is striking who can explain.”

 

* * *

 

 

Elizabeth Sanders did not refuse. In fact, JARVIS said that she accepted quite quickly. She was flown out to Los Angeles and given the presidential suite at the Four Seasons on Toni’s card. They had a meeting at eleven sharp the morning after she arrived. Toni wore a gray suit and spent the whole day at Stark Industries for the eighth day that month.

 

“Miss Sanders,” Toni greeted Elizabeth as she entered Toni’s office. She shook the woman’s calloused hand. Elizabeth Sanders was wearing a cheap blazer and skirt with a wrinkled button-up beneath it. Her curly, streaked hair was tied back. “Please, sit.” Toni offered Elizabeth the chair across from her desk. Elizabeth sat down. Toni sat down. “I wanted to talk to you because I had a lot of questions.”

 

“Ask away.”

 

“Why didn’t you make these demands through the union?” Toni asked.

 

“I’m not allowed to,” Sanders said. “You’re only allowed to be in the union if you work full time, that’s forty hours a week.”

 

“How long do you work?” Toni asked.

 

“Thirty-eight,” Sanders replied.

 

"Is that also why you don’t get the other benefits?” Toni asked.

 

“I’d think so,” Sanders said. “Of course, there’s a lot of problems with the system of benefits even for the fully employed,” Sanders said. “The coverage is rejected by all the private hospitals in Detroit. No dental coverage. And childcare is expensive. I’m spending a day's’ wages so my daughter can stay somewhere safe after school.”

 

“And fifteen dollars an hour - that’s alright?” Toni asked.

 

Sanders squinted at her, “Do you know how much you make an hour, Miss Stark?”

 

“I assume it varies from moment to moment,” Toni said.

 

“On average, five million dollars an hour,” Sanders said. “That means for every penny I make, you make-”

 

“Thirty-three hundred dollars,” Toni nodded.

 

“And I’m only on the clock for eight or so hours a day,” Sanders added.

 

“You’re getting paid at all hours of the day. Do you see the inequality?”

 

“I do,” Toni nodded. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

 

Sanders squinted at Toni, “Ignorance is only slightly better than malevolence.”

 

“What can I do?” Toni asked. “Tell me everything. Every stupid thing.”

 

Sanders’ list, when Toni typed it up, was eight pages long. There were various facets to it as well. Toni had never gotten such a detailed understanding of what it was like to work a Stark Industries factory. Sanders had stories from all levels of management.

 

“Thank you,” Toni said after she had finally finished typing. “I’ll talk to my COO, and we’ll hold a press conference tomorrow morning. Would you mind attending?”

 

“It depends what your policy changes are,” Sanders said. Toni nodded.

 

* * *

 

“Hello, everyone,” Toni said. She stood at the podium. Behind her, Sanders and Pepper were sitting in chairs, looking professional as the cameras flashed. Toni had bought Sanders an actual, professional pantsuit. When Sanders say the price tag, she shook her head and muttered something about the price of her car. “As you all know, Stark Industries has dealt with a surprise workers’ strike in recent days, which has transformed into a national movement. Yesterday, I had a very long and very enlightening with Miss Elizabeth Sanders, the brave young woman who started this movement. I am proud for Stark Industries to be the first corporation in recent days which resolves their workers’ strike with means other than replacement.

 

“I have to admit, that I was ignorant,” Toni said. “You learn something new every day, and yesterday, I learned about what it was like to work at my own company, on a factory floor, thanks to Miss Sanders and her ability to come out to Los Angeles at my request. I don’t know how the practice started, but we’ve been excluding workers like Sanders from important benefits like yearly bonuses, health insurance, and stability, all because she works two hours less than our bar for full time. Which is why Stark Industries will no longer be excluding anyone from these financial benefits. If someone is employed at Stark Industries for more than one hour per week, they are obligated to health insurance, dental insurance, yearly bonuses to adjust for inflation, and a promise that they will not be fired for having a heart attack, among other things. The memo of our changes for workers’ rights will be on Stark Industries’ website - front page. You are all more than welcome to look at it. I recommend my fellow CEOs across the country who are struggling with similar shifts in employment to adopt perhaps some of the changes we’ve made.”  
“A few of the more radical changes I will be making I will announce now for questions. First, Stark Industries will now offer childcare at every office and will pay for any childcare for our factory workers, even part-time. Second, the new starting wage at Stark Industries’ entry-level and part-time jobs is twenty dollars an hour. Third, there is now a stratification for the wages. The top-paid officers at Stark Industries, myself included, can make a maximum of five thousand dollars an hour. I learned a couple days ago how much I made, and the fact that I’d been CEO for twenty years and I didn’t know my hourly rate just shows how disillusioning this job has been. Thank you for your time, I will now be taking any questions.”

 

Hands shot up around the room.

 

* * *

 

“-Well, I’m very sorry, Jeff. I don’t know what to tell you. I did what I thought was right. Hey - look on the bright side. Now you’re the CEO who makes the most money in America. You there Jeff?” Toni noticed the call had ended. “What a dumbass. Where were we?” Toni sat back down on her couch with Pepper, where a movie was paused.

 

“I’m proud of you,” Pepper said.

 

“For calling Jeff Bezos a dumbass? It’s not that hard. All you need is a brain-”

 

“I mean for how you handled this,” Pepper said. “I don’t think anybody else could do what you did.”

 

“Yeah, well, when you’re in a cave with shrapnel in your chest, the quarterly suddenly is insignificant,” Toni shrugged. Pepper was looking at her with some somber expression. “It’s fine. I like the new me. I feel like I’m putting some good into the world to make up for all the bad.”  
Pepper nodded. “I don’t know how you managed to appease the board-”

 

“I gave them a look into the future,” Toni said. “There’s a project I’ve been working on that I think is gonna be revolutionary.”

 

* * *

 

Toni was on stage. It was the final day of Stark Expo, the last day of November. The crowd was packed. The area outside was full. The whole park was packed. And they were all looking at screens of Toni. She wasn’t dramatic this time. No Iron Maiden drop-ins. She was wearing an all-black tuxedo when she walked on stage, smiling and beaming as the crowd cheered.

 

“Thank you!” She said.

 

“I love you, Toni!” A woman cried.

 

“I love you too!” Toni cried back.

 

“Blow something up!” A man explained.

 

“I - didn’t you guys get enough explosions in April?” Toni asked. People laughed. That terrifying attack had morphed into a joke. “Folks, Stark Expo was an opportunity to show the world the future. The expansions in science we’ve made this year have blown even me away. And thanks to the latest round of Stark Grants, the future is looking bright. Today, I am glad to announce, that I will be taking you into the future today. Who here has a phone? Laptop? Tablet?” There was a lot of cheering. “We all have one right? Every day, all day, we use them. Technology has integrated around us, and for some, inside us,” She tapped her chest for emphasis, where a dim blue glow could be seen in the dark room. 

 

"Before I would like to announce what I’ve made for you all today, I need to provide some context. I hate charging my phone. I hate charging my laptop. Stark Industries’ Headquarters runs on entirely clean energy, I run on entirely clean energy, but the miniaturization causes destabilization. To stabilize it, I’ve had to invent the one hundred and seventeenth element on the periodic table. It was an idea created by my father and brought to fruition by me, forty years later, and so named after us: Starkium (They said "no" to Badassium). But that’s old news.” It was hardly old news, and Toni had almost gotten a Nobel prize in chemistry for it. “What isn’t old news is what I can do with it.” Toni reached into the pocket of her tuxedo and pulled out a slim, silver piece of metal with a glass screen. “This is the next-generation StarkPhone. One piece of equipment in our new line of arc-reactor powered public technology.” The screen behind her lit up with the models of the new line. The StarkPhone, StarkTablet, and StarkLaptop. “You’ll notice it doesn’t have a charging port because it doesn’t need one. A StarkPhone will run until it breaks, and, well,” Toni hurled the phone off the stage. It soared through the air and smacked onto the concrete. There was some scuffling.

 

“It’s not even scratched!” Someone yelled.

 

“Exactly. Very hard to do.” Toni said. “You can keep that, by the way.” She pulled out a second StarkPhone, her personal StarkPhone. “Let’s take a look at what she can do.” As it turned on, the screen synced to the phone, and everyone could see the blue sphere which was spinning in the center of the screen. The lock page was a picture of Iron Maiden blasting through the air. “We’ve had a lot off different ways to unlock a phone. You can do fingerprint scan, facial scan, retinal scan, voice recognition, pin, alphanumeric password, tap code, or picture code. My favorite is the picture code-” she pressed on the arc reactor in the picture and pulled it upward. The phone unlocked.

 

“Welcome back, Miss Stark,” A woman’s voice came from the phone. The text of what she said also appeared in the corner of the screen.

 

“Hello, Helen,” Toni said. “Could you explain what you are?”

 

“Certainly, ma’am,” Helen said. “My name is Helen. I’m a next-generation A.I. designated to improve your life. I have six different preset levels of interaction through this interface, ranging from ‘Personal Assistant’ to ‘Silent.’ That way, you can adjust your desired level of activity with me. Currently, ma’am, you have me set as your Personal Assistant.”

 

“And tell me, Helen, what can you do?”

 

“I can search for publicly accessible information,” Helen said, “I can schedule and plan events, send messages and emails, keep you updated-” Helen stopped. The StarkPhone started buzzing. Toni answered.

 

“Miss Stark, I’m just calling to remind you that you have a reservation with us tonight at eight,” the hired actress which was off-stage said. She hung up. Helen’s module popped up again.

 

“Miss Stark, would you like me to save a reminder for your reservation at eight?” Helen asked.

 

“Hey - wait - I don’t want you listening in on my conversations, Helen.”

 

“My apologies, Miss Stark,” Helen said. “You can individually alter every one of my capabilities in the advanced settings to your optimized level of comfort.”

 

“Can you adjust your own settings, Helen?”

 

“No, ma’am,” Helen said. “There is no way for me to alter my own settings.”

 

“Helen, are you always listening?”

 

“Yes ma’am, but my audio stores are purged every ninety seconds unless we’re having a conversation, my archives are inaccessible from external apps, and I promise that any information of yours will remain entirely confidential. There’s even a contractual obligation from Stark Industries to compensate financially for any stolen information on a StarkPhone.”

 

“What if I have a StarkPad or a StarkLaptop?”

 

“I can connect wirelessly to those interfaces, so the rule still applies,” Helen explained. “Additionally, if you add something to your phone calendar, I can alert your StarkTablet. If you want to retrieve a document from your laptop, I can sync it to your phone.”

 

“And I never have to turn you off or charge you?”

 

“I am perpetually at full charge, but I may need to restart for necessary updates to my operating system, my naps are short ones, though,” Helen said. 

 

“And how much storage space do you contain?”

 

“Currently, eighty gigabytes,” Helen answered. Toni was silent for a long while to beam at the applauding audience. Helen was nowhere close to JARVIS, but she made Siri look like a toddler.

 

“One question left, am I right? How expensive is this gonna be?” Toni asked the audience. “Helen, how much does the Next-Gen StarkTech line cost?”

 

“A StarkPhone is two hundred dollars, a StarkTablet is three hundred dollars, a small StarkLaptop is four hundred dollars, a large StarkLaptop is five hundred dollars, and a StarkComputer is six hundred dollars, monitor included. All current optional accessories range from five to fifty dollars, although there are advanced accessories that can be utilized to make a designer StarkComputer at most retail locations."

  
“And when will this Tech line be available at a retail location?”

 

“Tomorrow morning, ma’am,” Helen said. “Would you like me to direct you to the nearest retailer or set a reminder to make a purchase?”

 

“Not right now, thank you, Helen,” Toni said. “That will be all.”

 

* * *

 

They made half a billion dollars in December alone. Major companies and schools tried to replace all of their equipment with StarkTech. An internet trend of people trying to break their StarkPhones popped up, with the phones surviving being thrown off of rooftops and dropped into bathtubs. Tech reviews of how friendly and strangely flawless Helen's programming was soon became a trend on cable news.

 

“Everybody loves your little sister, J,” Toni said.

 

“I am glad that she’s being widely accepted, ma’am,” JARVIS replied.

 

“She’s not as advanced as you are,” Toni said. “I left out a lot of your algorithms. I didn’t want the military to figure out how to adapt your imaging, logic, and target systems.” She flipped through the channels, where a woman was showing everyone how you could adjust Helen’s personality in the advanced settings, making her “friendly” or “sassy” or “serious.”

 

“And you didn’t make my personality adjustable, ma’am?” JARVIS asked.

 

“You made your own personality, J,” Toni reminded the AI.

 

* * *

 

“Did you know that I own the lot behind Grand Central Station?” Toni asked Pepper one morning.

 

“Is this your definition of pillow talk?” Pepper asked.

 

“It was Daddy’s old building. Now, it’s just a storage facility and offices we rent out.”

 

“Your point?”

 

“I want to build a skyscraper,” she said.

 

The designs for Stark Tower were finished in a month. It would be the first completely clean energy skyscraper in New York. They decided to add twenty-five floors to the existing fifty, completely refurbish the exterior and interior, and give it modern architecture. There would be a landing pad at the penthouse suite which would be where Toni could take off and land in the Iron Maiden suit. With the estimations from the construction companies and Toni’s own understanding of her design, it would be ready in a bit over a year.

 

* * *

 

Toni was watching the news, Pepper was on it. She was wearing a neat red suit with a glittery silver knit top underneath the blazer, “Thank you all for coming,” She said at the podium. “I’m Virginia Potts, with Stark Industries, and I am thrilled to be here. It’s not every day you get to change the face of New York. First, I am happy to announce that all damage resulting from the Stark Expo incident is officially repaired, at the sole expense of Stark Industries. Now, the long, historic, and mutually beneficial relationship between New York and Stark Industries can once again turn in the direction it's always faced: toward the future. It is with great pleasure that I present to you the plans for the structure you see going up behind me: Stark Tower. The very first completely clean energy powered skyscraper in Manhattan, and what we hope will be a model for future development in the greatest city in the world.”

 

Once Pepper was one politely answering questions about the development, she stepped offstage. The camera stayed on her as the news anchors narrated an analysis of Stark Tower’s construction announcement. Toni called Pepper. She saw on the screen as Pepper picked up the phone.

 

“Hey, I was watching the press conference, you did great,” Toni said.

 

“Were you surprised?” Pepper asked.

 

“Nah,” Toni said. “You’re great at everything. When you get back to the west coast, I have a bottle of Dom Perignon with your name on it. After, all I believe the anniversary of our first date is in three days.”

 

“Oh, you remembered,” Pepper said.

 

“Of course I remembered,” Toni said. “You should go see your Mom while in New York.”

 

“Should I?” Pepper asked. “My schedule is pretty full.”

 

“Prioritize family, Pep, let someone else do something,” Toni told her.

 

“You know, maybe, instead, you should come out to New York with me next time, and we can meet my mother together.”

 

“Wait, you want me to meet your mom?”

 

“Of course, we’ve been together a year now, I think it’s high time you met Mom.”

 

“It’s just, you know, are you sure you want me to meet your mom? She’s usually proud of you,” Toni said.

 

“It’s not like I’m coming out to her again,” Pepper said. “She knows we’re dating. I just want her to meet you.”

 

“If you really want it, and you think it will go well, I will do my best to meet your expectations,” Toni said. “But I’m not optimistic.”

 

“Well, let me be the optimistic one, then,” Pepper said.

 

* * *

 

Their first anniversary was a romantic night in. Pepper cooked because Toni learned how to make eggs properly a few weeks ago. Pepper talked about her day, Toni made her laugh, and then they took an early nightcap, although they didn’t get to sleep until the next morning.

 

Pepper’s next trip to New York was to meet with zoning boards. Toni put on her suit and helped the construction workers, wanting to do something physical instead of sitting in stuffy conference rooms and talking about obscure legal documents. The meetings went well, and it was time for them to head to Rochester, where Pepper’s mom was from.

 

“Are you sure she’s going to like me?” Toni asked as Happy stopped in front of a modest colonial home.

 

“Yes,” Pepper sighed. “Happy, don’t come back for an hour.”

 

“You can’t tell my driver-slash-bodyguard what to do-”

 

“He’s going to listen to me,” Pepper shrugged. They got out of the car and walked up to the front porch. Pepper knocked on the door. A few moments later, it swung open, and a woman hugged Pepper. She was tall and slender like her daughter, with white hair piled on top of her head, and she was wearing an apron over a patchwork tunic and light jeans. They two of them were squealing about how happy they were to see the other. When they finally broke apart, and Toni saw Mrs. Potts’ face, she recognized Pepper’s square jaw and straight nose.

 

“Hi, ma’am, I’m Toni Stark,” Toni said, politely offering her hand.

 

Pepper’s mother pushed past Toni’s hand and crushed her into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you finally came. I’m Louise Potts. You’re just in time, I finished baking some oatmeal raisin cookies. They’re supposed to be for the kids, but I can probably spare a few.”

 

“Mom’s a history teacher,” Pepper said.

 

“United States history and government,” Louise nodded. “The AP exams are next week, and I always make my kids cookies for them. Please, come inside,” The interior of Louise’s home was a mismatch of old and new furniture. The curtains clashed, the rugs varied in style, there was not a color palette. Toni realized she had never been in a home that hadn’t been impeccably designed since college. The only cohesive thing about the interior was the pictures of Pepper. Every single yearbook photo of her from kindergarten to senior year was framed. Teenage Pepper with a tennis racket and a trophy, beaming between her parents. Pictures of her graduating from high school, and then from business school. Pepper’s father was in her high school graduation photo, but not in her business graduation photo. Toni knew why, of course. Pepper had her first girlfriend in college.

 

Louise Potts shoved two glasses of milk and a plate of cookies at Toni and Pepper and sat down with them in the mismatched living room. Pepper and her mother caught up, Louise had another anecdote about the most recent trouble that Pepper’s uncle and Louise’s brother, Morgan, had gotten into. He apparently decided he wanted to start selling and buying antiques out of a van and ended up losing money because he had no concept of appraisal and found all of his antiques at a thrift store. He tried to sell his artifacts to local museums, but nobody needed a thirty-year-old crockpot, especially not a museum. It was actually alright when Pepper was there because she was the sole focus of Louise’s attention.

 

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Pepper stood up suddenly.

 

“Do you want me to come with?” Toni asked.

 

“No, gross,” Pepper shook her head. She left. Now, it was just Toni and Louise.

 

“So... “ Toni said. “You have a lot of pictures of Pepper.”

 

“I’m quite fond of her,” Louise said. Louise smiled gently at Toni and retrieved a leather book from one of the drawers on the coffee table. “This was taken just after Virginia was born,” she flipped over to the first page, where a younger Louise was holding a little pink swaddled baby while sitting in a hospital bed. They flipped through pictures of Pepper in colorful onesies, with platinum blonde hair. “When she got older, it turned darker and redder,” Louise explained. “But she was platinum until she was three.” To prove it, she flipped to a picture from Pepper’s second birthday, as judged by the “2” candle on the cake. Pepper’s hair was in two silvery-white pigtails. A second picture, taken not long after, showed Pepper with chocolate cake smeared over her face. Pepper’s first day at Kindergarten had a photograph of Pepper in a backpack that was half her size, her now reddish-blonde hair was in two braids. Louise was standing beside her daughter, looking quite like the modern Pepper, except for the fact that her hair was yellower and her eyes were greener. “I assume you know what happened with her father,” Louise was looking at a picture of Pepper on her father’s lap.

 

“Yeah,” Toni nodded. “We’ve talked about our fathers a few times.”

 

“I was excited for her,” Louise said. “When she felt brave enough to come home with that girl. He yelled at her. Refused to apologize. Ordered her out of the house. I had the divorce papers read the next day. I’m not letting anyone hurt Virginia,” Louise looked at Toni very pointedly.

 

“I’d rather die,” Toni promised.

 

“Don’t do either,” Louise advised.

 

“Thank you for the cookies,” Toni said. Louise smiled and shrugged. “What’s Pepper’s favorite cookie?”

 

“She loves ‘Yes, Virginia’ bars because she thought they were named after her until she was eight,” Louise said. “We always made three pans for Christmas.”

 

“What are those?” Toni asked.

 

“Graham cracker crumb base with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, raisins, coconut, and marshmallows, drizzled in condensed milk and baked,” Louise said. “I’ll have to remember to send you some.”

 

“Oh, that’s not-”

 

“It’s absolutely necessary. Did your mother ever bake for the holidays?” Louise asked.

 

Toni shook her head and then shrugged at Louise, “Not mom. The Jarvises did. Our butler, Edwin, and his wife, Ana.”

 

“You two getting along?” Pepper asked as she came back, sitting beside Toni.

 

“I was just telling her about ‘yes, Virginia’ bars,” Louise said. “Poor thing’s never had one, I thought I sent you some last Christmas.”

 

“Nobody said I had to share,” Pepper said, she was smiling.

 

“Wow, rude,” Toni said, pretending to be offended. “I’m your _girlfriend_.”

 

“Yeah,” Pepper agreed.

 

“You use my credit cards,” Toni said.

 

“You let me,” Pepper added.

 

“Yet you don’t give me food?”

 

“You never asked,” Pepper shrugged.

 

“Semantics!” Toni exclaimed. Pepper shrugged and bumped her shoulders gently into Toni’s, smiling.

 

Pepper resumed her conversation with her mother, and Toni just got to enjoy sitting in the mismatched living area and watching Pepper beam at her mother.

 

* * *

 

“Do you miss your parents?” Pepper asked on the private flight back to California.

 

“Why do you ask?” Toni questioned.

 

“You’ve been really quiet after leaving Mom’s,” Pepper said. “I assumed.”

 

“I just have a lot of questions,” Toni said.

 

“Like?”

 

“Well, they never knew. I never told them that I liked girls. And I don’t know how they would’ve reacted. I think about that more than I should, probably.” Toni said.

 

“Did you think they wouldn’t have?” Pepper asked.

 

“Daddy already disliked so much about me, I don’t think it would’ve made that much of a difference. But I was almost close to my mom. I just wonder how unconditional that love was.”

 

“Well, my mom likes you,” Pepper said. “Which is good, right?”

 

“Yeah,” Toni nodded. “But I suppose I am good with the ladies.”

 

“Gross,” Pepper said, smiling.

 

“Want to live with me?” Toni asked.

 

“I do live with you,” Pepper said.

 

“No, you have a closet, a toothbrush, and a key. And I have stuff at your place. But we still have two different places.”

 

“More like I have a place and you have twenty,” Pepper said. “I assume I’d move into yours?”

 

“Well, I mean, the difference between a mansion and a condo-”

 

“No, I get it,” Pepper nodded. “We can do that.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, might as well move in with my boss-slash-girlfriend-”

 

“If anything you’re my boss,” Toni said. “Because you actually function as an adult.”

 

“Romantic and professional partner,” Pepper decided. “Not that anybody but our closest friends and family knows.”

 

“I mean, you know why they can’t,” Toni said. “Reputations. At stake.”

 

“We would handle it,” Pepper said. “It’s not like you need to flirt in a board meeting anymore, you shoot lasers.”

 

“It’s actually a repulsor-” Pepper looked at Toni “-yeah, lasers top boobs.” Toni smiled. “Well, not yours.”

 

“Flattering,” Pepper said shortly. “I’m not going to make you do anything you’re not ready to do. Just know that when you’re ready to pull another “I am Iron Man” I’ll be ready with you.”

 

“Just call a press conference, show up wearing a rainbow flag like a cape, say ‘I’m gay’ and walk out?” Toni asked.

 

“Why not go for a whole rainbow ensemble? Cape, suit, hat, shoes-”

 

“-Have two cannons that shoot glitter,” Toni added

 

“- Right - and maybe we can hire Elton John to play during the walk-in-”

 

“-if I haven’t managed to make an android Freddie Mercury by then-”

 

“-they can duet-”

 

“-It’d be quite the spectacle,” Toni said.

 

Pepper nodded, then they both broke into laughter.

 

* * *

 

Toni wasn’t ready to propose. She had the ring, of course. A beautiful rose-gold ring (Pepper loved rose gold, and the pink-orange hues looked good against her skin and hair) with a large, round diamond in a halo setting, the colors and framing gave the illusion of it being an arc reactor. She had designed it the day after their first date and had it sitting in her workshop for a year. She wasn’t ready to propose, because she knew Pepper would want to be public about it eventually. And Toni was far from ready for publicity about this deep, private relationship. About a personal secret, she had spent money, time, and energy trying to keep secret.

 

When Rhodey came to get an upgraded suit, as Toni could not stand seeing him on T.V. decked out in Hammer technology any longer, Toni admitted this problem to her best friend. He understood. They pretended to date for a few years just for the safety of heterosexuality in their business and military careers.

 

“If you aren’t ready, you shouldn’t think about it,” Rhodey said. “If you want to commit to forever, you can’t commit to a forever in secrecy, especially when that isn’t what she wants.”

 

“I know, but I also just want to be married to her,” Toni said.

 

“Why?” Rhodey asked. “What will it change?”

 

“Absolutely nothing, but I get to call her ‘my wife.’” Toni said. “And I want to call her ‘my wife’ - I want to have a wife.”

 

“Well, don’t have a wife until you’re ready to admit you have a wife, because she wants to be your wife, publicly.”

 

“I know,” Toni sighed. “I don’t trust myself,” She handed Rhodey the ring.

 

“What am I supposed to do with this?”

 

“Keep it from me, so I don’t have a moment of homosexual weakness and propose to her when I’m not ready,” Toni said.

 

“Right,” Rhodey nodded. “Well, I’ll keep it safe until your homosexual strength returns,” Rhodey said.

 

“Thanks, Rhodester,” Toni said. “You’re the best gay fake-ex-boyfriend ever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading.
> 
> As always, I appreciate any feedback, especially comments! What did you guys think of this massive mountain of Pepperoni fluff?
> 
> Thank you again.
> 
> Toni Stark will return for the Avengers, so please, subscribe and stay updated on my series to continue following her story. And while you wait, please read the other fics in my AYCDICDB series!
> 
> Until next time! :)


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